The International Centre for Environmental Health and Development (ICEHD) has trained over 100 rural women farmers on climate-smart agriculture as part of effort to improve food security.
Farming aids and implements were also given to each of the trainees who were drawn from the six geo-political zones after a two-day programme held in Abuja.
Items distributed include fertilizers, sprinklers, knapsack sprayers, pesticides, herbicides and irrigation facilities.
The programme also strengthened the capacity of grassroots civil society groups to engage policy officials, publicly project women’s voices on climate justice and advocate agricultural reforms to advance women’s rights.
Speaking at the event, Dr Ndudi Bowei of ICEHD, said the fact that small scale women farmers were the hardest hit with climate change underscored the need for them to acquire skills in climate-smart agriculture, mitigation and adaptability, soil quality techniques, access to ownership and resources control and innovative farming technology.
She said women farmers accounted for 70 per cent of agricultural workers and 80 per cent of food producers but were at the receiving end of the negative impacts of climate change.
She added that the training was to build their capability to get more access to market, improved income and take informed decisions when faced with climate issues.
Also, Mrs Marian Olushola of Women Solidarity Initiative for Development urged civil society groups to go to rural communities to educate women farmers on entrepreneurship.
