A non-governmental organisation, Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI) said it would begin community-level activities on women’s rights, advocacy, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and economic empowerment in Bauchi state.
The Acting Executive Director of FAWOYDI, Mr Mustapha Idris, disclosed this during the advocacy visits in Bauchi on Friday.
Idris said that the visits aimed at introducing the Renewed Women Voices and Leadership(RWVL) project to relevant Ministries, Department and Agency(MDA) in the state.
"We are here to familiarise with the relevant stakeholder on thematic areas and implementation focus of the project.
"We will be working with six selected Community-Based Organisations (CBOs)," he explained.
He mentioned that the project would be implemented in Alkaleri, Bauchi and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas across eight communities.
"Grants have been disbursed to FAWOYDI as the lead organisation and six selected CBOs following the Participatory Assessment and Mapping (PAM) exercise.
In their separate response, Mr Bello Abdullahi, Director Admin, Bauchi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, welcomed the initiative and commended FAWOYDI and ActionAid for aligning the project with the state’s gender policy.
He pledged the ministry’s technical support, participation in the project steering committee and efforts to link the project with relevant state programmes.
Similarly, Mr Babaji Garba, Director of Planning, Ministry of Budget, Planning and Multilateral Coordination, assured the organisation of the ministry’s support.
He pledged to facilitate the inclusion of RWVL in donor coordination meetings, support monitoring and link the project with relevant development plans.
He also promised to facilitate the sharing of quarterly reports to enhance coordination and accountability.
Mrs Sylvia Gabriel, Gender Desk Officer, Bauchi State Agency for Persons with Disabilities, commended FAWOYDI for its inclusive approach.
She called for deliberate inclusion of women with disabilities in Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), steering committee activities and capacity-building programmes.
She also pledged collaboration and data sharing to strengthen implementation.
However, Mr Baba Jibrin, Director, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, expressed readiness to support the economic empowerment component of the project.
He said that the ministry would assist by linking VSLA groups with business registration opportunities, market access and relevant state empowerment schemes.
The RWVL project is being implemented with support from ActionAid to strengthen women’s leadership, rights, participation and economic empowerment at community level.
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