Pulse.ng : Impact of UN Women programmes visible, says Gov. Sani

From the middle, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr Hadiza Balarabe and the Country Representative to UN Women during the UN Women Open day event

By Aisha Gambo

Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State has commended the gender-responsive procurement, peace, security and capacity building initiatives by the UN Women, saying their impacts were visible.

The government made the commendation on Tuesday during the UN Women Open Day event for North-West in Kaduna.

“One of the remarkable initiatives led by UN Women in our state is the affirmative procurement reform, which has strengthened public institutions to adopt gender-responsive procurement practices.

“This programme has empowered women entrepreneurs, providing them with the skills and capacity to access public procurement opportunities.

” Additionally, the private sector forum organized by UN Women has been instrumental in promoting supplier diversity, ensuring that women-owned businesses are included in the procurement process,”he said.

Sani added that the UN Women has been a key player in promoting peace and security in Nigeria, working closely with other UN agencies to implement the Peace-building Fund (PBF) project.

Represented by his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, the governor stated the state recognised the centrality of economic empowerment in addressing gender inequality and as such, made provisions for economic lifelines to women.

He added that his administration has collaborated with the World Bank’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) as part of its effort to provide equal opportunities for girl children.

Sani appreciated the UN Women for its continued support and partnership in advancing gender equality in the state.

Speaking earlier, Mrs Beatrice Eyong, Country Representative to UN Women Nigeria and ECOWAS, said the open day was one out of the three- in-one events held in the state.

She explained the event was a new initiative by UN Women and her partners aimed at making visible UN Women and Partners’ work, advocate and solicit political commitments from the state government.

She added that the day also provided an opportunity for UN Women partners and beneficiaries to share first and success stories , gaps and challenges they faced with their programmes.

“The event will also allow us to reflect on where more action is required and strengthen partnership and collaboration to expand our reach and impacts as well.

“In Nigeria, UN Women design and implement interventions that contribute to the triple mandates of normative frameworks and standards, coordination and programmatic operational work.

“This is to mobilize urgent and sustained action to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls,” she said.

Eyong explained that the UN Women had invested a lot in the state through different programmes and projects like the affirmative procurement reform, promoting women’s access to the digital economy.

Others were: The programme on women peace and security in Nigeria (Phase II); and the promotion of women political participation in governance processes and leadership.

In her welcome address, the Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Rabiu Salihu,
said that the state had recorded giant strides in the area of investment in human capital development.

She explained that for the first time, budgetary provisions were approved for the four ‘Sexual Assault Referral Centres’ (SARCs) in the state to cater for the survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

Salihu added that four courts have been designated as family courts for the trial and prosecution of perpetrators of SGBV.

“We now have a functional women and girls shelter and a boys shelter which are basically transit camps and a diversion centre for at-risk children.

“At present, efforts are on going towards the domestication of the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy in Kaduna State with the support of dRPC, DevAfrique and the World Bank,”she said.