The Irish Defense Minister, Simon Coveny, T. D. has urged Military High commands across Africa to increase the intake and role for women in the armed forces. According to him, women are the best mediators in times of conflict resolution in war torn areas. 
He explained that women are in the best position to facilitate the peace process in African nations that have been ravaged by conflict resulting in destabilization, displacement, and infrastructural destruction, all of which have gender-specific consequences.
Speaking during a public lecture at Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, KAIPTC, in Accra on Thursday, Simon Coveny T. D stated that, “Army Commands should develop capacity within the area of defense forces from a peace keeping operation specifically around gender-based violence and post conflict management.”
“The truth is in much of modern day conflict, women and young girls are used as a tool of war in a very violent and a very elastic way. Certainly the role for specific units primarily made up of female peacekeepers will be a very important role to play in conflict resolution. We need to have large number of female peace keepers that cannot only act as soldiers and provide security, but can also act at counselors and diplomats in supportive ways to help build communities in war torn areas.” 
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By: Nana Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana