Luanda - The First Lady of Angola, Ana Dias Lourenço, said on Friday in Luanda that the participation of women in promoting, maintaining and building peace is a condition that enables their experiences and solutions to contribute to stability, through inclusive governance.
Ana Dias Lourenço was speaking during the closing ceremony of the "course on defence and national security from a gender perspective", designed for senior officials of the national defence and security bodies, the legislative and executive branches, and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries.
According to the First Lady, the full, equal and substantive participation of women in achieving and maintaining peace must be a priority, so that peace may be lasting and sustainable.
The First Lady stressed that the history of Angola has witnessed the role of women in the struggle for resistance to colonial occupation, starting with Queen Nzinga Mbandi, in the 17th century, and many others who contributed decisively to the achievement of national independence and the preservation of territorial sovereignty and integrity.
The First Lady stressed the integration of women into the Angolan Armed and Security Forces in the context of liberation movements, namely in the guerrilla corps of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).
"Today, at the level of training centres, vocational schools and military academies, women are being integrated into the three branches of the Armed Forces, and although the number of personnel is still less than ten per cent, this is a gradual process", Ana Lourenço said.
She went on to explain that the integration of women in the State's sovereign bodies is a reality and that their weight can be reinforced, in a similar way to what already happens in the public administration in general, where about a quarter of the civil servants are women with entrepreneurial spirit.
The First Lady also said that gender mainstreaming becomes essential, incorporating the contributions and experiences of women's organisations in the development of policies and programmes, rejecting stereotypes and distorted views on gender.
The First Lady of the Republic said that in this collective change movement, each and everyone should contribute with their capacities to make this objective a reality.
The course on defence and national security from a gender perspective, which took place over five days, was expected to be attended by 167 auditors, but only 88 participants concluded the training, including 36 civilians, 40 military personnel and 12 police officers, from Angola, Cape Verde and Brazil, given the absence of the other countries.
