The Critical Role of Grassroots Women in Nigerian Peace and Security
This report analyzes the severe humanitarian impact of widespread conflict on women and girls in Nigeria, citing statistics on food insecurity, displacement, and education. It argues for the essential inclusion of women in peace processes, highlighting their contributions through grassroots networks which enhance local intelligence and make peace agreements more sustainable.
She Speaks Peace
Amplifying Women’s Voices from the Grassroots Across the Nation.
"Not as a whisper, not as an echo, but as a powerful, transformative force."
A Call to Action
On International Peace Day, we reimagine the future of peacebuilding through the lens of women’s voices, especially those echoing from the grassroots.
We join the world in rethinking humanity: not merely to commemorate a day, but to ignite a movement centered on the role of women and girls in the peace process.
Key Partners: NWP-SSRG, YouPaD, and Basic Rights Watch.
"When women speak peace, the nation listens. And when the nation listens, peace becomes possible."
The Toll of Insecurity
Widespread conflict across Nigeria has created an urgent humanitarian crisis for women and girls, reflected in critical national statistics.
26.5M
Facing Food Insecurity
Source: CDD 2024 report
7.6M
Girls Out of School
Source: UNICEF June 2022
56%
Female IDP Population
In North-Central & North-West
27.9%
Women in Peacekeeping
Source: 2023 Armed Forces Data
Regional Realities: A Snapshot of Crisis
South-East
Separatist violence and kidnapping cripple trading centers like Onitsha.
North-East/West
Cattle rustling, mass abductions, and persistent isolated raids.
North-Central
Nomadic herders' attacks and complex communal crises.
Why Women's Voices Matter
Sustainability
Peace agreements are 35% more likely to last at least 15 years if meaningful representation is guaranteed for women.
Local Intelligence
Women at the grassroots draw on market associations and cooperatives to provide critical local security information.
Where Women are Speaking
Regardless of relegation, women have been speaking in the songs they compose, in the stories they tell, and in the steps they take.
Market Associations
Leveraging economic networks for advocacy and community stability.
Women’s Fellowships
Prayer circles and cooperatives promoting messages of tolerance and resilience.
Community Resilience
Acting as carriers of local intelligence, mediators, and trauma recovery counselors.
"At the grassroots, women’s voices for peace are the loudest. These women have always made valuable contributions to community peace-building initiatives; keeping these voices out is a missed opportunity."
Associate Professor Plangsat Dayil
Abuja | 11 September 2025
This report honors the women who speak peace in boardrooms, broken homes, burnt villages, and bustling markets, supporting UNSCR 1325 and the Beijing Declaration.