A 30-member committee has been set up by the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and the Disabled in collaboration with Development Research Project Centre (dRPC) on domestication of National Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy for Kano State.
While inaugurating the committee yesterday, the ministry’s commissioner, Hajiya Aisha Saji, said women are the backbone of the economy and their empowerment is crucial for the development of the state and the country at large.
She said women in Kano are being faced with numerous challenges such as limited access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities, as such the committee has a critical role to play in addressing them and ensuring equal opportunities for women to participate in the economy and reach their potential.
“We must work together to create an environment that supports women’s economic empowerment, provides access to finance and markets, and promotes entrepreneurship and motivation.
We must also address the social and cultural barriers that hinder women’s economic participation,” Saji stated.
She however advised the committee to develop and conduct a comprehensive implementation plan with clear targets and timelines based on research and analysis to ensure effective implementation.
Earlier, while giving an overview of dRPC’s work on WEE, Bar. Umar Amad, said the collaborative approach put women in the driver’s seat, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs met.
Part of the committee’s mandate is to identify and address gender/disability-specific barriers to economic empowerment; build the capacities of stakeholders to validate the domesticated policy and facilitate its executive approval; and develop advocacy strategies to promote policy adoption and implementation, among other things.
