IWD 2024: YMCA urges Nasarawa government to create empowerment opportunities for women

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By our reporter, Lafia

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Mada Hills, has called on Nasarawa State government to create and promote economic and political opportunities for women participation.

This, the association said, would reduce gender inequality and discriminatory tendency.

Mr Ango Adamu, Executive Secretary of the association made the call at the occasion of the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration organised in collaboration with the Nasarawa state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development on Friday in Lafia.

Adamu said that women around the world bear unequal responsibility for securing food, water and fuel, yet they have far less access to land, finances, and decision-making positions.

He called on the Nasarawa state and Nigerian government to take actions against inequality, noting that gender equality was one of the most effective ways to build healthier, more prosperous and more inclusive communities.

The Executive Secretary noted that the 2024 theme of the International Women’s Day “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress” with a focus on addressing economic disempowerment, was apt.

According to him, there are lot of key areas of advocacy and campaign around investing in women that can be carried out as suggested by UN Women.

He highlighted areas that needed intervention among others to include providing women and girls with access to quality education, inclusion of gender and climate change issues into development interventions.

Others are supporting small scale women and young girls in agriculture and value chain development, recruiting, retaining and developing diverse talents of women to help them diversify.

Supporting women and girls into leadership, decision-making, business and STEM designing and building infrastructure meeting the needs of women and girls, involving women and girls in sustainable agriculture and food security.

“Today YMCA and climate change stakeholders, UN women , ASSAPIN, supported by AACJ through Oxfam in Nigeria have joined our voices together on the occasion of the 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration to
recommend that the state takes measures to invest in women and accelerate theirs progress,” he said.

Also speaking, the wife of the Nasarawa state Governor, Hajiya Silifat Sule urged women to take care of their children especially the female children to prevent them from becoming drug addicts.

According to her, the rate of drug abuse among young girls is on the increase hence the need for women to caution their wards against drug abuse.

“Women should know the peers of their children to enable them know their movement and correct them accordingly,” she said.

Speaking earlier, Hajiya Aisha Rufa’i, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development said the theme ” Accelerating Gender Equality through Economic Empowerment” was informed by the imperative to invest more on women to enhance greater inclusion.

She said that her ministry with the support of the state government has trained and empowered women through skills acquisition in the areas of fishery, animal husbandry, detergent making, bakery and use of alternative clean energy.