The girl-child empowerment by the Delta state government is predicated on the need to break away from issues of gender discrimination, poverty and low self-esteem among young women.
The state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa stated this on Thursday at the graduation of beneficiaries of the 2021/2022 Girls’ Entrepreneurship and Skills Training Programme (Project GEST) held in Asaba.
The 814 graduands from the second cycle were trained in 10 skills areas namely Photography, Videography, ICT (Website Development & Graphics Design), Baking/ Confectioneries, Leatherworks, Professional Cleaning Services, Disc Jockey, Fashion Design, Hairdressing and Make-up.
Seventy others had their training extended while sixteen failed.
According to Okowa, empowerment of the girl-child was essential to uplift the economic and social status of traditionally under-privileged girls in society, noting that empowerment of the girl-child from ages 18 to 30 had become a major public policy issue.
“Six months ago, the second cycle of trainees under the Girls’ Entrepreneurship and Skills Training Programme (GEST) commenced.
“It gives me great pleasure today to witness their inauguration into the world of business and entrepreneurship.
“It is instructive that this event is taking place 48 hours after the 2022 International Women’s Day, with the theme `Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow’.
“The focus is on how to “Break the Bias” that women face every day in the global marketplace and thereby accelerate gender parity, equality, inclusion, and diversity.
“This is in tandem with the philosophy of GEST, which is to tackle the issues of gender discrimination, poverty, early/forced marriage, identity crisis, social and parental pressure, poor life skills (communication, decision making, goal setting) and low self-esteem, among young women.
“Today, as we resource and unleash 814 young women into the business world, we can beat our chests that this administration is recording significant milestones in breaking the bias against women in business,” he said.
Okowa urged the trainees to break free from the mindset of mediocrity, advising that to excel in the marketplace, they must make quality products and excellent service delivery their unique selling points.
He stressed that self-belief and self-confidence were essential prerequisites for success in business and that no prospective client would deal with a businessperson that was unsure of herself or her product.
“From your carriage, presentation, and appearance, you should always exude confidence, and instil same in your prospective customer.
“The truth about business is that people believe in you first before they believe in your product; in other words, they buy into your personality first before they consider what you want them to buy,” he stated.
He commended the Project GEST team for its commitment to the programme, saying “I am pleased with their zeal, passion, and dedication to duty.
The wife of the Governor, Dame Edith Okowa at the occasion said the beneficiaries were successful because of the grace of God upon their lives and urged them to remain resilient and ensure absolute integrity in carrying out their enterprise.
Special Guest of Honour and Chief Executive Officer, House-of-Tara, Mrs Tara Fela-Durotoye, said the beneficiaries were true champions for enduring through tough times the training to emerge victorious in their chosen careers.
She urged the beneficiaries to build their businesses to last by leaving a lasting impression in the minds of their customers.
Earlier In her welcome address, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Girl-Child Empowerment, Mrs Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, had said that the second cycle known as the “Magnificent 900” scaled through the process maintained focus and crossed the finish line.
She stated that the Project GEST had continued to change the story of so many young girls in Delta by making them well-trained entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to confront current economic challenges.
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