By Austin Angwe, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has assured both local and international organizations of its willingness to support initiatives that add value to the developmental efforts of the present administration aimed at empowering vulnerable women and girls.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Theresa Ikwue gave the assurance while delivering a speech at a closeout ceremony to mark the end of a 1-year programme aimed at empowering vulnerable Adolescent Girls and Young Women, AGYW and Female Sex Workers, FSWs on human rights, healthcare, and awareness creation on GBV.
The occasion was part of activities organized by Concerned Women International Development Initiative, CWIDI in collaboration with the French Embassy Fund, FEF-OSC to commemorate this year’s international women’s day held in Makurdi.
The commissioner represented by head of reproductive health in the ministry, Mrs Doofan Ibya, described CWIDI’s activities as aligning with the ministry’s mandate and expressed government’s determination to partner organisations willing to support Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration to actualise his achievements.
She assured the NGO of collaboration to enable government extend the project to other local government areas to empower more vulnerable girls and women on their rights as well as the opportunity to educate women on GBV issues and how to acquire skills to reduce poverty among women.
In a remark, CWIDI’s Director of Programmes, Mrs Bridget Okeke, said the NGO in collaboration with the French Embassy Fund, FEF-OSC, embarked on the 1- year project having identified stigma, limited awareness on legal rights, access to healthcare, weak reporting pathways and economic vulnerability as major challenges facing adolescent girls and Young Women AGYW particularly the female sex workers.
She said to break the cycle, different categories of vulnerable women including female sex workers, were educated on the VAPP law, access to healthcare, awareness creation on GBV, adding that the organization carried out community engagements such as capacity building workshops to empower stakeholders to become advocates in their communities to help reduce GBV.
Okeke disclosed that during the period, about 42 young girls were trained in vocational skills such as tailoring, nail fixing, pastries, etc with another 340 young girls trained through a step- down programme and start-up kits worth N18 million provided to the girls that were engaged on vocational skills with the aim to reduce poverty which is the major reason for women’s vulnerability especially in the state.
The Director of Programmes who expressed delight that those the organization have trained are doing well, with a particular beneficiary using proceeds from her business to train herself in a Polytechnic, stated that in the next project expected to commence soon, it will be a return investment as beneficiaries of the project will become trainers, expressing optimism that the development will reduce cost.
Stakeholders during panel discussion called on the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare to activate section 40 of the VAPP law and urged the government to get involved for project sustainability.