By Adebayo Abubakar.
The UN Women, has has charged stakeholders in the advocacy for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment, to ensure effective coordination among the different partners.
The National Program officer (Nigeria), Mrs. Patience Ekeoba made the call on Tuesday, at a stakeholders meeting for North Central zone, including the FCT, organised in Ilorin the Kwara State capital, which had in attendance commissioners or their representatives from each of the states.
The major theme of the meeting, declared open by the Kwara State Commissioner for women Affairs, Mrs. Afolashade Opeyemi Oluwakemi, was the significance of effective coordination of the activities of each of the advocacy groups’ projects, to achieve maximum goal-oriented results.
She equally called on the state Ministries of Women Affairs to ensure that they provide the leadership and the platform for such co-ordination to avoid duplication of efforts, and resources.
Machinery was therefore, set in motion for the implementation of the action plan towards coordination, for Coherence, accountability, and sustainability of advocacy for Gender Equality, and Women Empowerment. (GEWE).
GENDER RESPONSIVE PLANNING AND BUDGETING TRAINING.
The event is three-day program, with the Day-1 set for the meeting, while Day-2 was for Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting Training aimed at empowering stakeholders to increase GEWE funding in Nigeria.
The UN Women Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) training, in Ilorin the State capital, was themed, “Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting Training. The resource person for the day was a renowned Gender Equality advocate, and Country Representative to UN Women Nigeria, and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong who took participants thorough the art and science of Gender-responsive Planning and Budgeting, after which she entertained questions and comments from a group engaging and enthusiastic participants.
The virtual session with the Country Representative to the UN and ECOWAS, was followed by a practical session by the participants, in what could be described as peer-learning. This was with a particular focus on each of the North Central State’s and FCT’s “local peculiarities”, regarding planning and budgeting.
Each State related its experience on budgeting and funding. And suggestion-based solutions were proffered with a view to adopting same for domestication by the respective States’ ministry of Women Affairs.
The Kwara State Ministry of Women Affairs was massively applauded for what they been able to do so far in enhancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in the state, with a particular reference to the the gender balance in the cabinet of the State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who has 10 women in his cabinet of 20 – 50%. But the National Programme Officer, Ms. Patience Ekeoba, urged the Ministry to still explore ways of doing more – the same admonition she gave all other states, especially in the area of budgeting and funding, saying no State has achieved the 15% threshold of their annual budget being dedicated to Gender Equality, and Women Empowerment endeavours.
In her remark, the Kwara State Commissioner Women Affairs, Ms. Afolashade Opeyemi Oluwakemi, commended the UN Women for finding Kwara worthy of hosting the event, while vowing to use her office to deepen coordination among stakeholders in the State, and beyond – up to the Zonal level.
OPEN DAY EVENT – THE GRAND FINALE.
Meanwhile, Thursday saw activities being rounded up with many attendees beyond partners, coming to witness what was happening. The day-3 was the grand finale, which was an “Open Day Event”, focused on “Strengthening Partnership, and collaboration for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. It was kick-started by the National Programme Officer, Ms. Patience Ekeoba, with a welcome remark to the invited dignitaries.
Ms. Eyong also enlightened participants, as well as other attendees, on what UN Women does, regarding Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
The Thursday event was well-attended by many important personalities, among whom are, the executive Governor of Kwara, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, represented by the SA Media Alhaji Bashir Adigun, while about half a dozen Commissioners from Kwara State, led by the State’s commissioner for Women Affairs, Ms. Afolashade Opeyemi Oluwakemi, and those of Women Affairs, from five other States of the North Central zone, graced the event. Commissioners for Women Affairs from Plateau, Niger, and Kogi were there in person, while those of Nasarawa and Benue sent their representatives.
Also in attendance were the traditional rulers from across Kwara State, including the the representative of the Emir of Ilorin, the Emir of Shonga, the Olosi of Osi, among others, alongside leaders of different women groups in the State, while the troupe of the Kwara State Art and Culture, treated attendees to the best of cultural songs and dancing steps.
End.
