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Tag: rural women

  • ‘Give more support for rural women’

    ‘Give more support for rural women’

    Beneficiaries of the Federal Government and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) assisted projects have called  for increased support to rural women in order to ensure food security, build climate resilience, and strengthen economies.

    The call was made at a Summit in commemoration of International Day of Rural Women held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the theme:  “Empowering Women Living in Rural Areas through Education and Access to Technology: Bridging the Gap for Inclusive and Sustainable Agri-Food Systems in Africa.”

    One of the panelists, Mrs. Patricia Achii, a beneficiary of the FGN/IFAD-Assisted Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), highlighted the challenges faced by rural women and the support she received through the programme.

     As an entrepreneur in the cassava value chain, Achii shared how the VCDP has transformed her and her community.

    “With the support of VCDP, I established an adult literacy training center for women in my community. Over 1,000 women have graduated, and they are now able to manage their farming activities as businesses,” Achii said.

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    Another panelist, Mrs. Temilade Ebiware, a beneficiary of the IFAD-Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Niger-Delta (LIFE-ND) programme, discussed how capacity-building on climate-smart agriculture has empowered her to adapt to climate change in her aquaculture business.

     In a presentation, Country Director of IFAD Nigeria, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, outlined how IFAD is working in line with Nigeria’s Food Systems Transformation Pathways to help smallholders, particularly rural women, increase incomes, improve market access, and enhance resilience.

    She also noted the impact of the Gender Action Learning Systems (GALS) methodology in empowering women to have a voice in their households and communities.

    Also, AU Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy, and Sustainable Environment,  Ambassador Josefa Sacko, underscored the critical role of rural women in Africa’s agricultural landscape.

    She acknowledged the barriers they face and expressed the AU’s commitment to developing a continental policy framework for women in agriculture through the Platform for African Women in Agriculture (PAWA).

  • Instollar firm trains, empowers rural women in energy transition

    Instollar firm trains, empowers rural women in energy transition

    Renewable energy firm, Instollar, has empowered rural women with skills and competencies in a three-week training: ‘InstallHER Initiative’, to deepen renewable energy transition among women.

    Instollar said the training aligned with its specialities in identifying, vetting, training and connecting qualified solar workforce with renewable energy companies.

    With advanced technology, Instollar noted it ensures solar companies can find the right technical workforce, streamlining the process, enhancing efficiency of solar installations, reducing solar project implementation costs and providing jobs to in underserved, rural and peri-urban regions.

     Instollar Technologies, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Chinwe Udo-Davis, said at the graduation of trainees, has a vision to revolutionise the renewable energy workforce.

    “We bridge the gap between skilled professionals and renewable energy projects, fostering a robust and accessible solar industry.

    “We provide a platform where the green collar workforce and renewable energy companies connect seamlessly. This platform not only simplifies the process of finding technical solar workforce, but also ensures that projects have highly qualified and vetted professionals, thus guaranteeing highest standards of quality and safety in solar installations.”

    On the InstallHER initiative, which saw women passed through three weeks’ training to become renewable energy experts, she said: “Despite our success in connecting skilled workforce with solar projects, we noticed a disparity in our database: less than one per cent of the workforce were women.

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    “This under-representation of women in the solar workforce prompted us to take action and launched the InstallHER Solar Training Initiative, to empower women with the skills and knowledge to thrive in renewable energy.

     “The initiative was borne out of a necessity to create a more inclusive and diverse workforce in the industry. By providing training for women, we break down barriers and offer opportunities for women to excel in this field. This equips women with technical skills and provide them with the tools to succeed in a male-dominated industry.”

     She explained the depth of the training, saying: “The InstallHER programme is comprehensive, spanning weeks of intensive theory and practical sessions. Participants are trained in aspects of solar home systems, including installation, maintenance and design. The curriculum covers essential modules as Introduction to Solar Home Systems; Basic Electricity Concepts; Analysis of Power Consumption; Types and Layout of Solar Home Systems, and Selection of Solar Panels for Solar Home Systems.

     “The programme also includes hands-on sessions where participants work with solar equipment, and training sessions conducted by solar company partners who teach the specifics of their products.

    “To ensure trainees fully commit to the programme, we provide fare and cover their meals during the training…’’

  • Foundation organises rural women summit

    Foundation organises rural women summit

    Rural women in Apomu, headquarters of Isokan Local Government of Osun State, gathered at the palace of Alapomu to mark this year’s International Day of Rural Women on October 15.

    The event was organised by Olori Janet Afolabi Foundation.

    Addressing the women, Olori Janet Afolabi Queen of Apomu Kingdom and founder of the foundation said: “Today belongs to you. It is dedicated to appreciate you for your hard work and resilience as the backbone of food production, where you constitute women labour- paid and unpaid.”

    She said the essence of the event was to also empower the women because they work very hard yet they live a hard life.

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    “My mission is to provide access to credit to enable them start or grow their business.”

    In a symbolic gesture of support, new set of women emerged from the “No Interest Loan” programme, which the foundation started in October 2020.

    Olori Afolabi urged the new beneficiaries to use the loan for the purpose for which it was given.

    She advised the women to discourage child marriage and encourage their daughters to complete their education.

    Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi, the Alapomu of Apomu, said: “Today serves as a reminder that millions of women in rural communities need assistance from basic necessities to financial aid. It is good to celebrate them because they toil every day to contribute to agricultural production and food security.

    Osun State governor’s wife, Erelu Ngozi Adeleke, who was the special guest, hailed Olori Afolabi for the kind gesture.

  • Rural women receive empowerment in food security

    Rural women receive empowerment in food security

    Lagos State will continue to support rural women in ensuring agricultural productivity, food security, and sustainable development.

    Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Dada, spoke in Epe, at 2023 International Day of Rural Women, with the theme:  ‘Rural Women Confront Global Cost-of-Living Crisis’.

    According to her, ‘rural women have been the backbone of societies, contributing to agricultural productivity, food security, and sustainable development. They are farming specialists, entrepreneurs, caregivers, and community leaders, making contributions to well-being of families and communities’.

    She lamented ‘rural women face challenges and are disproportionately affected by global cost-of-living crisis. As prices soar, healthcare, education, and essential services become inaccessible. They struggle to meet families’ needs striving to make ends meet, a burden that can have consequences for their well-being’.

    Dada added: “That is why we remain committed to amplifying efforts to ensure rural women are provided with tools and resources to confront the cost-of-living crisis. Through Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, we will implement programmes and initiatives to empower rural women.

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    “We will provide skill training, access to financial services, and promote entrepreneurship to enable rural women become active in sustainable economic activities. We will continue to provide opportunities through access to education and training; tuition-free skill acquisition in Igbooye and Epe, to equip trainees with 20 income-generating skills.

    “We will improve access to micro-credit, savings accounts, and insurance. Upon graduation, women can access Lagos State Employment Trust Fund Loan to boost their businesses. The ministry also provides equipment to artisans under Micro-Enterprise Support Initiative to enable beneficiaries do well in their businesses.

    ‘’About 10,886 residents have benefited since 2019 under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, with another 3,000 to get such equipment in few weeks.’’

    “We are also promoting women’s agricultural cooperatives to help them achieve economies of scale, enhance productivity, and access markets effectively. We love agriculture and believe it is that which every growing economy should rely on. That is why WAPA has a massive farmland in Avia, Badagry, where we grow cassava, vegetables, oil palm and breed grasscutters. 2,500 women have been given the experience to groom these crops to produce gaari, palm oil and vegetables free on these land for 10months, after which they harvest and proceed to their personal spaces for sustainability. We have also considered Snailery for 300 participants, and fisheries for 500 beneficiaries. All these trainings come with free work tools to enhance productivity.

    “Another area we focus on is diversification of income sources. Rural women should be encouraged to explore alternative income-generating activities beyond agriculture. We have a four-week short-term training for beneficiaries to have another source of income-generating venture without looking for shops. This programme allows them engage in handicrafts, small-scale businesses, agro-processing, and tourism-related ventures. Nine skills are taught free with starter packs given to every participant upon completion of the trainings. We have been to Epe twice for this programme since 2019, and 13,868 residents have benefited so far. We have realised that diversification has really helped to reduce dependency on a single income source even as it improves resilience against economic crises.

    “We will also ensure improved access to technology and information. At the advent of COVID-19, many businesses were affected. So, we decided to help women using digital marketing; 500 were personally trained by WAPA and given androids to help them onboard their businesses online. Another 5,000 were on-boarded as a collaborative effort with EBI market place. We believe that with access to information and communication technologies, there can be market information, access to online sales platforms, and opportunities to connect with buyers directly.

    “Another effort is through advocacy and representation. WAPA will not rescind on every activity that gives rural women a voice and representation in decision-making processes, especially in promoting gender equality. We have put up many advocacies in virtually all interior communities of Lagos – Epe, Ese-Offin, Ilashe, Ibeshe, Irewe, Tabon- Tabon, Natty, Village , Ikorodu and Badagry -to empower rural women in order to actively ensure fair wages, social protection, and better infrastructure across every area.

    “On this journey, we want to work with you. We long for fostered relationship with you in the fight to give you equal opportunities and standing in a male-driven society. We hope for a society that considers your social standing paramount across all strata of life. We build resourceful women, please continue to be our partners.”

  • Include rural women in governance

    Nigeria is still waking up to the participation of women in politics. In the 2019 general election, Nigeria recorded significant increase of women participation and representation in politics; this is as a result of shift in thinking, awareness, campaigns and feminist movements in the country.

    Most development organisations focused on women inclusion. The development of a country is being measured by the level of women’s participation and representation. Nevertheless, there are still barriers and opportunities women in governance still encounter in their journey.

    An equal representation of women and men at all levels of decision making, guarantees better government. This is because women have unique perspective. Increased participation of women in decision making will create a new culture and shed new light on how power should be exercised.

    Women have a different vision and conception of governance owing to their gender conditions as mothers, wives and care givers. Therefore, it is expected that women’s inclusion in governance will bring a special caring focus and humane values to mainstream politics.

    The limited representation of women in national politics and governance mirrors the status of women in local governance. Majority of rural women participate in community-initiated programmes and projects, their participation is limited to offering services without much power and voice to influence decisions during such participation. Indeed, if local governance is to be effective and to achieve its purpose of bringing governance to the local people, women must not be left behind. They must have a voice through their selection into key decision-making positions within the local governance space.

    Harassment is one of the challenges hindering women in politics, they are being harassed and intimidated by their political opponent which scare them away from the process. Among the challenges is finance, education, time required for meaningful participation. There are also customs, beliefs and practices embedded in the very patriarchal nature of our society that also work to affect women’s position in governance and the visibility in other public lives.

    Women leaders should be well represented in making decisions. Thirdly, government should liaise with civil society organisations to introduce women electoral lobby organisations to encourage more women’s active participation. Such organisations should be responsible for providing fund-raising for women’s political activities.

    Most importantly, women should be encouraged by friends and associates during their involvement in politics. Women feel comfortable to participate in activities when societies are not hostile to them.

    • By Salmat Abdulwaheed

    Centre for Information, Technology and Development (CITAD),

     Wuse Zone 5, Abuja.

  • LASG shifts attention to rural women

    In its efforts to promote the economic activities of women in rural areas, the Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has organised a Consultative Forum for Women in the Imota area of Ikorodu Local Government Area of the state. Speaking on the essence of the forum, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Lola Akande, said the programme is to ensure that governance is accessible and responsive to the governed.

    The ministry, Akande revealed, is responsible for the identification of needs and promotion of economic activities of women in rural areas.  “It is against this background and in line with the policy of all inclusive governance of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode administration, that the idea of Women Consultative Forum was conceived by the ministry to be held in the five divisions of the state. The maiden edition was held in the Epe Division in March 2017,”said Akande.

    Akande who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Abiola Liadi, said the aim of the forum is to encourage discourse and communication with the womenfolk. Liadi said the ministry currently has 17 skills acquisition centres spread across the state which offer free of charge trainings on creative and innovative skills/vocations, carefully selected to ensure employability and entrepreneurial development and enable graduates fare well in a highly competitive labour market.

     

  • Aisha Buhari canvasses economic support for rural women

    The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has called for moral and financial support to rural women to enable them establish small scale businesses.

    Mrs Buhari made the appeal on Friday while disbursing some cash to 200 women beneficiaries at the women multipurpose centre in Katsina.

    The women benefitted from the Aisha Buhari Foundation’s Community-Based Cash Transfer Intervention.

    She explained that it was in continuation of a similar gesture made in Daura where 200 women were assisted with cash to grow their business.

    The cash distribution was executed through her NGO, the Future Assured Initiative, which is a component of Aisha Buhari Foundation.

    She said that the gesture became necessary considering the economic challenge facing women at the grassroots.

    Represented by Dr Mohammed Kamal, the National Coordinator of Future Assured Initiative, Mrs Buhari said the cash transfer scheme was in line with the vision of her NGO towards improving the economic status of women in Nigeria.

    The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Badiyya Hassan Mashi, thanked the wife of the president for her continued support to rural women.

    The commissioner noted that the intervention would assist entrepreneurial women to expand the capital base of their micro businesses.

    She therefore urged the beneficiaries to utilise the funds judiciously.

  • Firm to empower 500,000 rural women in Kwara

    No fewer than 500,000 women in rural communities will be empowered by Kaiama Shea Butter Company, a Kwara-based company proposing to plant one million Shea butter trees across the state.

    Its Chairman, Mr. Temitope Amujo, said this in an interview in Ilorin.

    According to him, the government, in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA),  provided the enabling environment for the take-off of the company.

    “We launched the Save-the-Shea campaign with the sole mandate of planting 100,000 Shea trees, empower 500,000 rural women in communities and achieve zero poverty in the state.

    “This is to ensure safe climate; and to achieve this, we have acquired land in Kaiama Local Government Area to establish the first commercial Shea plantation and develop the first Shea Hub, called Kaiama Shea Hub (KaSH).

    “We recently discovered that Shea tree is one of the endangered species that is seriously affected by deforestation because of its high quality for charcoal production.

    “Our major target now is to discourage cutting of Shea trees for charcoal production, plant new trees and establish another Shea hub.’’

    Amujo said the vision was to create a minimum of 300 local jobs and attract foreign investment in Shea value chain development in the state.

    He said about N30 million has been injected into the company — N12 million in grant, N10 million sourced from private investment and N8 million in liability

  • Solar firm empowers rural women

    Solar Sister Nigeria, an innovative social enterprise, has expanded its operations to Borno State through the launch of the “Choose a Bright Future” campaign targeted at empowering rural women.

    The campaign aims to increase women’s economic opportunity by recruiting, training and empowering them as Solar Sister entrepreneurs in Borno State and throughout Northern Nigeria.

    Founded in 2010, Solar Sister empowers women with economic opportunity and business tools to spread clean energy in last-mile communities in Africa.

    Solar Sister supports women and girls by providing access to clean, dependable renewable energy, enabling them to lift themselves, families and communities out of poverty.

    Since its launch in Nigeria in 2013, Solar Sister has trained over 1,000 women entrepreneurs in 23 states, who have in turn sold thousands of clean cooking stoves and solar lamps.

    The Country Manager, Olasimbo Sojinrin, said:  “Solar Sister Entrepreneurs are often the only local sources for clean energy products in their communities and serve thousands of new customers per year. Our mission is to combat energy poverty and increase women’s agency through economic opportunity.

    “Because women are the ones who manage energy in the home, it makes sense that we are not just the problem, but an essential part of the solution.”

  • World Food Day: Obaseki salutes farmers, rural women

    World Food Day: Obaseki salutes farmers, rural women

    The Governor of Edo State, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has saluted farmers, rural women, food processors, distributors and other actors in the agricultural value chain for their contributions to human existence.

    Obaseki gave the commendation on Monday in commemoration of the World Food Day, October 16 each year, set aside by the United Nations in honour of the founding of Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in 1945 and other organisations that are committed to ensuring food security.

    “As the world celebrates the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other institutions that work tirelessly in mobilising actions to check threats to food security across the globe, I wish to salute farmers, rural women, food processors, distributors and other actors in the food value chain for their contributions to human existence,” he said.

    He added that “despite the myriad of challenges that farmers face over access to land, inadequate agricultural loans, seedlings and other farming inputs in Nigeria, our farmers have remained resilient in their desire to put food on our tables, which according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchical order of human needs, is a non-negotiable need and basic to survival.”

    According to the governor, a country’s ability to feed her population is a major hallmark of development and lauded “the efforts of individuals and groups whose skillful hands bring forth the food we eat.”

    He explained: “Our appreciation of the potential in agriculture, whether manifest or latent, explains our government’s adoption of the sector in our economic reconstruction strategy, which will deliver much of the jobs we are creating for Edo people and our industrialisation drive.”

    He stressed that the theme of this year’s celebration “Change the Future of Migration, Invest in Food Security and Rural Development,” is apt, and a clarion call on world leaders to take good governance and development to the people at the grassroots to check life-threatening migration.

    According to him, “In Edo State, the goal of my administration in the next two years, is to ensure that farmers in the State cultivate a minimum of 250,000 hectares of farmland. We have taken some bold steps in this direction with the maize farm project in Sobe, Owan West Local Government Area of the state, where harvest is currently ongoing.

    “We have commissioned the Edo State Fertiliser and Chemical Company Limited in Auchi, to make the product easy for our farmers in the state and beyond to access. The College of Agriculture in Iguoriakhi is being revamped to produce world-class graduates with the right capacity to change the face of agribusiness in the state.”

    Noting that there is a holistic strategy adopted in transforming agriculture in the state, he said, “We have just received the Technical Report on the Development of the Gelegele Sea Port, a project that is very dear to my heart, and will on completion, serve as the gateway to the global market for agricultural produce and other economic goods produced in the state and the southern region.

    “Our trip to the Asian continent to firm up agreements with Indonesian and Malaysian companies and partners has illuminated our plan to develop an industrial park in the state and make Edo State the oil palm capital of the nation through mechanisation.”

    Obaseki said the role of rural women in food production is worth highlighting on a day like this, as the United Nations set out October 15, as the International Day for Rural Women. He added that with the 2017 celebration themed, “Challenges and opportunities in climate-resilient agriculture for gender equality and the empowerment of rural women and girls,” it was pertinent to applaud the role of women in driving sustainable agriculture, as they make up 75 percent of Nigerian farming population, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.