He said while there were many efforts to promote women in leadership roles across the continent, particularly through laws, policies and standard-setting frameworks on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, implementation continued to fall far below the levels that would bring about real transformation.

He said this in a speech read on behalf of the Commandant of the Centre at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Inspiring African Women Leadership in Peace and Security (IAWL) Course 2019 in Accra.

The two-week programme from November 18 to 29 is aimed at providing capacity-building and networking opportunities for women to increase leadership and participation in the peace and security environment.

Mr Dawohoso said the Centre was priding itself on developing and implementing a Gender Policy that led to gender mainstreaming of all programmes, courses and trainings.

He said the Executive Management Committee in June this year created the KAIPTC Women Support Scheme of which the Course was an offspring.

He noted that the participation of women in leadership, peace process and governance required that adequate opportunities were provided to increase their knowledge base.

He expressed the centre's appreciation to the German Government through GIZ support office in Ghana and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) for their partnership, support and contributions.

Mr Christoph Retzlaff, the German Ambassador to Ghana, said the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, which underlined the importance of women's equal participation and full involvement in all efforts to maintain and promote peace and security.

He said despite best efforts and intentions, the commitment had not been fulfilled, saying that the international community was not able to end the plague of violence against women in conflict-affected countries.

He said one shocking reminder was the ongoing suppression of, and sexual violence against women and children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He said between 2000 and 2018, women accounted for less than six per-cent, of formal peace negotiators, which remained unacceptably low.

"We know that their contributions and participation remained critical to ensure women's needs and interests were reflected in post-conflict planning." He said.

Mr Retzlaff noted the significant contribution of women to peace and security in DR Congo and Somalia, where women had mobilised and formed peace movements, practised quite diplomacy and written proposals for post-conflict reconstruction programmes.

He said positive contributions of women to peace building and security in Africa had motivated the German Government to back the KAIPTC women's support scheme.

The programme enrolled 16 participants, drawn from the Military, Police and Civilians, selected from 10 different countries in Africa.