First Lady of Kwara state, Olufolake Abdulrazaq, has highlighted importance of economic empowerment, personal development and political participation as crucial drivers of women’s growth and advancement in society.
Speaking at the flag-off of the intervention initiative organized by Chidimma and Havilah (CHF) in collaboration with the Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women, and Children (SEPCEYOWOC), the wife of the governor emphasized the need to protect women’s rights, ensure education for the adolescent girl child and safeguard them from harm, including child marriage and gender-based violence.
Represented by her Secretary, Mrs. Adewuyi Victoria, the First Lady stressed that inclusive decision-making is essential in a community-participatory approach to promoting the rights of women, adolescent girls and youth at large.
“Inclusive decision-making is vital in fostering community-participatory approaches that uphold the rights of women, girls, and youth. They must be actively involved in planning, implementation, and monitoring processes”, she said.
She also said that capacity building should be prioritized, with training and enhancement initiatives for community members being essential to safeguarding the rights of women, girls and youth.
Ambassador Abdulrazaq also called for partnerships and collaborations between local organizations and stakeholders to ensure sustained progress in promoting the rights of adolescent girls, women and youth.
“Accountability and regular monitoring are crucial to ensuring progress,” she noted, highlighting that these efforts ensure women, girls, and youth are central to creating solutions that promote equity and justice while addressing their unique needs and perspectives.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Olanrewaju Rebecca Bake, supported the First Lady’s remarks, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing women and the adolescent girl child by addressing the challenges they face.
“We must consistently prioritize the education and empowerment of women and girls, tackling social norms and gender barriers including issues that hinder their development”, she asserted.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Adaramoja, represented by Mrs. Funmi Afolayan, expressed the agency’s support for the intervention project.
He noted that the collaboration between Chidimma and Havilah Foundation and its development partners, such as the Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women, and Children, aligns with the state’s ten-year sustainable development plan and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on quality education.
The District Head (Alangua) of Tanke in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Alhaji Umar Salawu, extended his appreciation to the Chidimma and Havilah Foundation and its partners, including the Urgent Action Fund Africa, for their initiatives and the great community-approach to such intervention in the Tanke community.
He promised to fully support the project and ensure the active participation of the benefiting community to maximize the impact on adolescent girls.
Earlier, the National Technical Lead of Chidimma and Havilah Foundation, Mr. Tiwatope Olumide Omotosho, explained that the program, titled “Inspiring Girls and Grassroots Network for Inclusive and Transformative Education (IGNITE) Project,” aims to safeguard gender equity, diversity, and inclusion.
He emphasized the importance of awareness and the adaptation of relevant supporting policies to address social norms and gender barriers that hinder adolescent education and economic opportunities.
The programme manager and implementing partner focal point, Mr. Ogunsola Femi, expressed confidence that with the collective support of all stakeholders, the project would excel in setting a new standard for transformative education at the community level.
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