Kaduna govt is engaging 50% women in its empowerment programmes – Commissioner
(M-R: Minister, Fed Min Women Affairs, Hajia Jummai Alhassan, Deputy Gov, Kaduna State, Ach Bala Bantex, Comm, Women Affairs, Hajia Rabi Abdulsalam during regular National Council in Kaduna on Thursday)
//Shola Ojo, Kaduna//
Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Kaduna State, Hajia Rabi Abdulsalam on Thursday said the state government is prioritising involvement of women in its empowerment programmes evident in matching 50% of those to be absorbed into the programme supported by the World Bank.
The Commissioner, who stated this at the grand finale of a week long 16th Regular National Council of Women Affairs and Social Development held at Hassan Katsina House, Kawo, Kaduna State, said the current administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai places high priority in the welfare of children, women and youths respectively hence the greater involvement of women to drive such course as key stakeholders.
According to the Commissioner, the theme of the year’s meeting, “Inclusive Empowerment; a Key to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Milestone”, was timely considering the present economic situation of the country on one hand, and how women have proven to be worthy partners in progress, noted if well harnessed, would changed the economy of the country for better.
“This ministry has made conscious and deliberate efforts to better the lives of women in Kaduna; we have worked closely with our development partners in the last one year and have been able to achieve so much”.
She said the ministry hosted a Gender and Business Dialogue (GAB) platform on 29th October 2015, all about discovering the great women entrepreneurial both in the city and those in the rural areas, quickly added that the summit has since been result oriented owing to the number of women who Now manage their own businesses within and outside the state.
“When the state government established the Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA), it was sensitive enough to give 22% of those that were employed. Consider also that in the women and youths in agriculture empowerment, our women are given a matching 50% of those absorbed into the programme supported by the World Bank”, she noted.
The meeting brought together all the Commissioners of Women Affairs from all the 36 States of the federation and was chaired by the Minister, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Sen Aisha Jummai Al-Hassan.