Minister Honours Centre For Women Empowerment

Minister of women affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy, has awarded a national medal of recognition to development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) for its exceptional contribution to the development and launching of the women’s economic empowerment policy and its other support for the ministry of women’s Affairs.

The recognition was presented to the centre at a ceremony in Calabar, Cross River State. The minister said the award signifies the organisation’s unwavering commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria.

The minister said the tireless efforts of the dRPC-PAWED project have significantly impacted women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria through their collaborative work with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. She said they have contributed to the successful development and launch of the women’s economic empowerment policy.

‘’The recognition bestowed upon the dRPC-PAWED by the National Council on Women’s Affairs is a testament to their exceptional dedication and impact. It highlights the pivotal role of civil society organisations in driving positive change and transforming women’s lives in Nigeria. This recognition will undoubtedly inspire other organizations and stakeholders to support women’s economic empowerment initiatives nationwide,” she added.

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In his acceptance speech shortly after the award in Calabar, dRPC’s director of projects in the ministry, Dr Stanley Ukpai, who represented the executive director, Dr Judith-Ann Walker at the event, said women’s empowerment has become a crucial agenda in Nigeria’s development landscape.

He added that recognising the potential and talent of Nigerian women entrepreneurs, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, alongside its partners, initiated the women’s economic empowerment policy to provide a comprehensive framework for their economic advancement. This policy aims to address the er disparities, promote gender-inclusive economic growth, and foster an enabling environment for women-owned businesses to thrive.

‘’Amidst the formulation and implementation of the Women’s Economic Empowerment policy, the dRPC and PAWED WECs played a pivotal role in supporting the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. This demonstrated its commitment to gender equality and women’s rights by actively engaging in advocacy to raise awareness about the importance of women’s economic empowerment among policymakers, civil society, and focus groups.

“To strengthen the evidence-base for policy formulation, PAWED provided its research on various aspects of women’s economic empowerment, analysing the barriers women face in accessing credit, markets, and entrepreneurship opportunities and providing valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders,’’ he added

Ukpai then disclosed that dPRC’s research in the areas of women’s economic empowerment has continued to contribute to the design of targeted recommendations to address the challenges facing women in Nigeria.

‘’Recognising the significance of skill development in enhancing women’s economic participation, PAWED initiated advocacy and communications capacity-building programs and training workshops. These programs equipped women entrepreneurs with leadership skills and access to mentoring and networking opportunities,” he added.