Africa-Press – Angola. The First Lady of the Republic, Ana Dias Lourenço, said this Friday in Luanda that the participation of women in the promotion, maintenance and construction of peace is a condition for their experiences, priorities and solutions to contribute to a stability through inclusive governance.
Ana Dias Lourenço was speaking during the closing act of the “defense and national security course from a gender perspective”, aimed at senior staff from the national Defense and Security Bodies, the legislative and executive powers and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries.
According to the First Lady, the full, equal and substantive participation of women in the conquest and maintenance of peace must be a priority, so that it is lasting and sustainable
He stressed that the history of Angola has witnessed the role of women in the struggle to resist colonial occupation, starting with Queen Nzinga Mbandi, in the 17th century, and many others who contributed decisively to the achievement of national independence and to the preservation of sovereignty. and territorial integrity.
Unlike other countries, he stressed, the integration of women in the Armed and Security Forces in Angola already had expression in the context of liberation movements, namely in the guerrillas of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).
“Today, at the level of instruction centers, specialization schools and military academies, there is integration of the female gender in the three branches of the Armed Forces, and that although still with less than ten (10) percent of staff, it is gradually taking place. “, he highlighted.
Ana Dias Lourenço considered the integration of women in the State’s sovereign bodies, as a reality, but that their weight can be reinforced, in a similar way to what already happens in public administration in general, where about a quarter of the universe of employees audiences are women with an entrepreneurial spirit.
He also added that the integration of the gender perspective thus becomes essential, incorporating the contributions and experiences of women’s organizations in the development of policies and programs, rejecting stereotypes and misrepresented views on gender.
In the act carried out at the Army Command, the First Lady of the Republic referred that in this movement of collective change, each and every one should contribute, to the extent of their capacities, to make this objective a reality.
He added that the differences in performance between genders in the fields of Security and Defense have been mitigated by technological progress, which has led to the replacement of the soldier’s physical strength by his intellectual abilities.
“Some conditions for the practical implementation of the principles of equity, justice and equality, advocated by the UN, include the increase in the number of women in the armed and security forces, with a greater number of participation in international peacebuilding and maintenance missions” , he said.
He also underlined that the existence of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are still critical points for the effectiveness of gender equality policies, not doubting that more and more countries will be questioned about the effectiveness of their action, much more than reports about meetings or intent processes.
The course on defense and national security from a gender perspective, which took place over five days, provided for the participation of 167 auditors, but only 88 participants completed the training, including 36 civilians, 40 military personnel, and 12 police officers, from Angola, Cape Verde and Brazil, given the absence of other countries.
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