Politics

Nasarawa govt moves to address gender disparity

Nasarawa State Government is making efforts to address issues surrounding gender disparities within the state through the human capital development transformative gender policy framework.

A statement made available to newsmen on Sunday by the media and advocacy officer of the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Agency, Rafiyat Sadiq said.

the Director General/Focal Person of the Agency, Habiba Balarabe Suleiman made the disclosure during a round table discussion on the human capital development transformative gender policy framework with stakeholders in Lafia, the state capital.

Habiba expressed hope that the round table discussion would generate a robust document that would look into the essence and factors needed for women to attain equity in the state.

She also emphasized the importance of the policy in serving as a blueprint for addressing the gender disparities within critical areas of the state.

“We seek to achieve a policy that is implementable, that will be generally acceptable, and serve as a guide to impactful interventions.

“We want to achieve an increased number of educated girls, reduced out of school children, increased health and security, increased level of financial inclusion and increased general participation for women and girls.”

The D-G called on all stakeholders who are champions for gender equity at their various levels to dig into their communities and come up with challenges bedeviling women and girls with focus on health for women and girls and the girl-child education.

She also stressed the need to put laws in place and enforce implementation so as to ensure that, children and women are protected.

In her speech, the Chairperson Committee on Women Affairs Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Hajara Danyaro, harped on the need for awareness campaign to promote menstrual hygiene in girls, promote family norms that promote, protect women and girls.

She charged all the wives of the local government chairmen to look within their community and initiate a bill that would promote the rights of women and girls, “as we are currently working on a bill that promotes menstrual hygiene for girls by making available sanitary pads for women and girls“

She also urged women to speak up, be determined, and fight for their rights.

The wife of the National President of ALGON and Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area, Hajiya Zainab Maifata said, the voices and plight of the less privileged should be amplified, and called on women to, at all times support each other.

On her part, the Commissioner of Women Affairs, represented by her Director of planning, research, and statistics, Clement Audu Alu, called for increased advocacy to raise awareness on laws that would protect women against violence and to push for legislation that will empower gender officers for effective mainstream.

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