The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has convened stakeholders on a Round Table workshop on the implementation of the 11 objectives of the National Gender Policy on Agriculture to chart way forward on the implementation of National Gender Policy on Agriculture.
National Gender Steering Committee for the implementation of the policy was inaugurated on April 20, 2021.
Presenting his Keynote address at the workshop on Wednesday in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Ernest Umakhihe said the thrust of the workshop hinges on chatting a road map on roles, responsibilities of stakeholders and time lines for the implementation of the Policy as a demonstration of the Ministry’s commitment towards engendering the agriculture sector.
He said the policy equally captured the concerns of people living with disabilities.
“The Policy legal framework was based on the recommendations of the National Gender Policy under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Protocols and Treaties signed by the Federal Government on gender mainstreaming and the 1999 Nigeria Constitution as amended.
“These legal frameworks called for the development of the National Gender Policy on Agriculture to reduce the vulnerabilities of women and enhance food security.
“The Policy is consistent with the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by World Leaders at the United Nations Summit in New York, in September 2015, which underscores the vital role agriculture plays in sustainable development and its importance in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, he said.
The Permanent Secretary said the Ministry and its Agencies were committed to the socio-economic empowerment of women and girls in the sector, and therefore recognize that gender mainstreaming is ” Smart Economies” and a prerequisite for eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable human development.
Dr Umakhihe said 75 per cent of the world’s poor (women) live in rural areas and are involved in farming, who mostly depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods.
“In many parts of the world including Nigeria, women are the main producers of food but have limited access to inputs as there are huge gender disparities in the agriculture sector and failure to address these gender gaps in roles, differences, and inequalities between men and women poses a serious threat to the effectiveness of the agricultural development
agenda.
“The present Administration has re-positioned agriculture as a business with a return on investment as a Mantra-Agriculture as an alternative to oil hence, gender mainstreaming in agriculture remains fundamental to economic growth and poverty reduction”, he added.
In her welcome address, the Director of Special Duties at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Fausat Lawal, said there are huge gender disparities in the agricultural sector as smallholder farmers who are predominantly women have limited access to the input.
She said there are huge gender disparities in the agricultural sector as smallholder farmers who are predominantly women have limited access to the input.
“It is important to note that smallholder farmers are the Gatekeepers of food security and are feeding the Nation even when they have limited access to agricultural input such as land, funds, extension services, information, fertilizer,
seed etc.
“In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are the Global driven Agenda adopted by the leaders at the 70′ UN General Assembly 2015 with 17 Goals and 169 targets for National stability towards the essential for all- dignity and prosperity, progress, justice and peace, the National Gender Policy in Agriculture was produced to empower women, enhance food security and bridge gender gaps”, Mrs Lawal added.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
No Evidence Arab League Sent Warning Message To FG On Biafra Movement
CLAIM: A Twitter user claims that the Arab League of Nations sent a warning message to the Nigerian government on the Biafra movement.Stakeholders meet over implementation of national gender policy on agriculture
Stakeholders meet over implementation of national gender policy on agriculture
and then