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Tag: NCWD

  • Buhari re-assures on protection of women, girls rights

    Buhari re-assures on protection of women, girls rights

    President Muhammadu Buhari, has re-assured Nigerians that the rights of women and girls will be protected, adding that there will be adequate female representation in governance.

    President Buhari gave the assurance in Abuja while addressing the 2017 Women and Girls Summit organised by the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) with the theme: “Power of the Adolescent Girl: Vision 2030.”

    The President, who was represented by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbe, said to achieve the desired change, resources must be mobilised through reduction of wasteful expenditure and zero tolerance for corruption.

    He reiterated that his administration would continue to accelerate the revamping of the economy with agriculture, manufacturing, mining and others sharing centre stage.

    “As a matter of deliberate policy, my administration will ensure that the rights of women and the girl-child, as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution, are fully protected.

    “I want to restate that women will be adequately represented in government under my administration.

    “ We will also provide greater opportunities for education of women, job creation and economic empowerment.

    “We have also put in place facilities that will make women farmers access credit at one digit rate, because women have the best record of loan repayment of 90 per cent compared to men at 60 per cent.

    “We know rural women suffer terribly and arrangements have been made to make it possible for rural women to have access to life against the challenges that hamper their rights to life,’’ he said.

    The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osibanjo, emphasised the need for additional hands in the campaign towards inclusive governance.

    She called on stakeholders to come up with strategies and programmes to propel the notion of the girl-child in the country as well as the elimination of gender-based violence.

    Earlier, the Director-General of NCWD, Mrs Mary Ekpere-Eta, said the summit was expected to draw attention of policy makers to the critical issues affecting women and girls, for high level discourse and strategic intervention.

    “The day is aimed at calling for more opportunities for girls and to raise awareness on different forms of discrimination faced by the girl-child based on their gender,” she said.

    Read Also: Buhari orders audit of recovered assets within one month

  • Intel, NCWD to bridge IT gender divide

    Intel Corporation and the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) is set to train 25 women in Information Communication Technology (ICT) use to boosting their skills in business.

    The Director-General of the NCWD Director-General, Onyeka Owenu, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, said other objectives of the training include increasing the utilisation of digital services and e-services to advance women’s economic empowerment.

    She explained that during the one week residential programme, the women would also be introduced to Web design and hosting, online marketing of products and services.

    Speaking on the theme of the training which is “Promoting women and girls’ access to ICT and the Internet to accelerate gender equality and women’s economic empowerment”, Onyeka said  the Centre is expected to network internationally and complement other players within the Sustainable development terrain” known as Technology and Entrepreneurship training for women in Nigeria (TETWIN).

    “We are making effort to strongly push for a wider narrative and vision of where African women issues should go and we believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a nation

    “ I am happy to introduce this training today, because it is about skills and because it is about empowering the woman to make her more economically independent, in a world of huge opportunities and challenge where the fast moving ICT sector is the backbone of every business,” she added.

     

  • Onyeka Onwenu opposes women wing movements

    Onyeka Onwenu opposes women wing movements

    The Director-General of the National Council for Women Development (NCWD) and a veteran musician, Onyeka Onwenu, has opposed women wing movements in politics, saying they should be abolished.

    She said such movements did not give women their dues in politics or help in the fight against gender inequality, because women were only organised to clap and dance.

    Onwenu lamented that the country had not done well for women in terms of elective offices.

    She compared Nigeria to Kenya, which allocated 35 per cent of elective offices to women in its constitution, saying the former had capable women.

    The NCWD DG spoke yesterday in Kaduna at a three-day capacity building programme on “Gender mainstreaming training for the media”, organised by the NCWD with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

  • Onwenu counsels women on empowerment

    Onwenu counsels women on empowerment

    The Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Ms Onyeka Onwenu, has urged Nigerian women to take advantage of the vast opportunities that abound in the country for their economic uplifting.

    Ms Onwenu spoke yesterday in Abuja when she hosted the executive members of the Nigerian Association of Women in Colleges of Education.

    She noted that there were various areas women could make money without going after white collar jobs.

    The NCWD chief said the centre, as an advocate on women issues, was working with the present administration to add value to the lives of Nigerian women.

    According to her, the NCWD has introduced training programmes in plumbing, carpentry, masonry, house building and generator and air conditioning repairs.

    Ms Onwenu said: “Teachers are very important in the society and the country needs to give more recognition to teachers. Teachers not only impart knowledge but also mould characters and inspire the child.”

    The National President of the association, Mary Aibangbe, said the aim of the visit was to congratulate Ms Onwenu on her appointment and to show appreciation for her contributions to the development of women in the country through her music and her new position.

     

  • NCWD boss urges youth on nation-building

    Nigerian youths have been tasked to take up the responsibility of salvaging the nation.

    The Director General, National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Lady Onyeka Onwenu, handed down this charge while playing host to members of the executive council of the Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) in her office.

    Stressing that the youths must brace up and take charge of the country’s affairs, Onwenu stated that they do not have to wait for it to be handed over to them.

    She noted, “Youths own this country; they are the agents of peace and unity,” adding that the leaders of this country are always ready to guide them when they make mistakes.

    While commending the Arewa Forum for its drive for peace and unity, Onwenu disclosed that the NCWD is developing a set of programmes targeted at the nation’s youth. This, according to her, is to direct and sensitise them on productive utilisation of their time and resources, especially as the 2015 general elections is fast approaching.

  • Women key to Nigeria’s growth, says Onyeka Onwenu

    Women key to Nigeria’s growth, says Onyeka Onwenu

    Director-General of the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) Lady Onyeka Onwenu has said Nigeria will develop when women are given the recognition they deserve.

    Lady Onwenu, a notable artist, spoke yesterday at the opening of the Third Ekiti Gender Summit at the Adetiloye Hall in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

    In attendance were Governor Kayode Fayemi, represented by his deputy, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; the governor’s wife, Erelu Bisi; and wives of the governors of Osun and Kwara states, Alhaja Serifat Aregbesola and Deaconness Omolewa Abdul-Fatai Ahmed.

    Also present were Minister of Women Affairs Hajia Zainab Maina, represented by Mrs. Bolatito Olaitan; Secretary to the State Government Ganiyu Owolabi; the Head of Service, Mr. Olubunmi Famosaya; and the representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ifeoma Maduekwe.

    Lady Onwenu said efforts to improve the status of women in Nigeria were championed by the NCWD through poverty reduction and skill acquisition programmes at the centre.

    She said despite efforts by the centre and other organisations, “gaps and obstacles still exist to the realisation of gender equality and women empowerment”.

    Lady Onwenu said: “Lack of available data to plan and dialogue for gender mainstreaming measures and male bias continue to remain a challenge.

    It is in recognition of this that NCWD established the National Gender Data Bank to provide information to various users.”

    Commending the Ekiti State government’s efforts to improve the lot of women and the creation of the Office of the Wife of the Governor, Onwenu said: “In Ekiti, you should be grateful to God for what he has done for you. I hope what is happening in Ekiti would be replicated across the country. Our concern now is not to apologise for womanhood. We will not beg for our rights. We will make sure we sustain advocacies to make everywoman aware of her rights. It is only then that Nigeria could be truly developed.”

    Fayemi urged women not to relent in the fight against oppression, saying: “Without women, there can be no nation. Men should be more interested in the health of their wives. When women said: “Fayemi is gender-sensitive. He has really fought for the restoration of women’s pride in Ekiti. Ensuring that women are well placed in the society and treating issues affecting them urgently is the fastest way to achieve national goals.”

    Mrs. Fayemi lamented the rising cases of violence against females, saying: “Despite efforts to protect women, the situation seems to be getting worse, going by daily occurrences of abuse of the female gender, some of which are simply bizarre.

    “The number of reported cases of sexual violence has increased, probably because people now know that the cases will be taken seriously and justice will be done, unlike what obtained in the past.

    “The number of active cases in the courts is encouraging. We hope victims of these violent sexual crimes will get justice and their cases will not be struck out on the grounds of frivolous technicalities.”

    Alhaja Aregbesola said: “Women are the majority in the world and no one should be allowed to cheat us.”