The Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Nigeria and ECOWAS, empowered by the German Feminist Development Policy, on Thursday, in Benin supported the Edo State government in the domestication of the gender policy, launched by the wife of the State Governor, Mrs Betsy Obaseki.
In her goodwill message during the launching of the Policy, the diversity Advisor, Gender and Diversity (Equity and Inclusion) Secretariat of GIZ Nigeria, Mrs. Kate Okoh-Kpina, commended the Edo Government on the launch of the Gender policy.
Okoh-Kpina said that the policy is one of the giant strides the state is accomplishing, especially as issues of gender and gender parity have become a front burner issues across the World.
She added that GIZ is committed to supporting gender policy through the Feminist Development Policy (FDP).
“This is to create an enabling platform for women to be able to have the right to own property just like the administration of criminal justice which was enacted in 2015 now provides for, that even married women can own property in their name.
“And women can also stand for surety. Looking closely at the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPPA), you will see that both rights of men and women are now being protected from harmful cultural practices.
“Such as protecting them against female genital mutilation and harmful widowhood practices. We are also encouraging women to have better voices to be heard politically, socially and otherwise,” she said.
Continuing: “We also see that more recently, the courts are drawn towards making judgements that protect the rights of women which is a step in the right direction.
“When we started, we had a gender neutral approach, but now we have gravitated towards a more gender sensitive, responsive and transformative approach where we try to change norms in the society.
“And encourage both men and women to have equal opportunities, taking a very close look at the Feminist development policy that was launched by the German government last year 2022.
“You will see that not just Human Right, but Right, representation and resources for women are being encouraged”, she said.
She, however, promised to continue to use its SKYE project to advocate and encourage more gender transformative approaches that would promote the rights of women.
This is even as Okoh-Kpina called on stakeholders to continue to speak up for the rights of women in a view to reducing gender violence which she opined is affecting women and the vulnerable groups that include the children and girl child.
She also encouraged women in the society to seek knowledge about their rights under the law, stressing that only when women know what their rights are, that they can stand up against violence in any form.
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