At the subregional level in West Africa, the Economic Community of West Afric...

At the subregional level in West Africa, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has also put in place strong mechanisms with regard to the role of women in conflict prevention and management. Those include the protocol on conflict prevention, management, resolution, peacekeeping and security and the supplementary protocol on democracy and good governance. Those mechanisms form the basis of the ECOWAS conflict-prevention framework. The women and peace and security component of the framework is aimed at consolidating women's role, participation and impact at all stages of conflict management, including humanitarian provisions, while reinforcing various national and regional mechanisms on their protection and promotion. Other regional initiatives of that nature include the women's network for peace and security in the ECOWAS region; the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding; the Movement against Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa; and the Alliance of African Initiatives for peace and stability in West Africa. At national level, through the Law Reform Commission and the Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigeria has initiated reforms in the criminal justice system to ensure the delivery of gender justice in law and practice. Bills on addressing gender equality and all forms of violence against women and girls have been sponsored at both the federal and state level. Strident steps have been taken at the national level to ensure the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000). In the same vein, Nigeria stresses the importance of compliance with resolution 1820 (2008), on ending acts of sexual violence against women in conflict.