FG, UN, EU flag off COVID-19 relief package for vulnerable women

The Ministry of Women Affairs, in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS and other international partners have launched a relief project to cushion the effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable women.

The other partners include the United Nations and the European Union.

A statement from the NACA yesterday said the project called ‘Risk Communication and Community Engagement Project’ was championed via the UN Basket Fund support to the National COVID 19 Multi-sectoral Pandemic Response in Nigeria and  set up to help mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable household and women living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt had its toll on the world’s economy and here in Nigeria, the situation has hugely disrupted economic activities causing loss of jobs among citizens most especially the vulnerable community in Nigeria,” the statement said.

Flagging-off the project, NACA Director-General Dr Gambo Aliyu said the pandemic was impacting all aspects of human life including social, economic, religious and psychological wellbeing.

He with the effects of COVID-19, Nigeria had identified preventive interventions to limit the spread of the virus by involving the community in the fight against the spread of the virus through improving risk communication, social mobilization and community engagement.

The preventive interventions seek to protect the most vulnerable women, including those living with HIV/AIDS from the effects of  COVID-19 such as loss of income due to loss of jobs and livelihood, increasing gender based violence, insecurity, among others.

The Minister of Women Affairs and co-chair of the project, Pauline Tallen said key stakeholders had been working towards a common goal of reaching the down trodden vulnerable women and households in 15 selected high burden COVID-19 states. They are  Lagos, Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Sokoto, Oyo, Edo, Rivers, Ogun, Kaduna, Borno, Gombe, Bauchi, Akwa-ibom, Delta and Ebonyi States.

Head, Gender and Human Right Unit of NACA, Yinka Falola-Anoemwah, said the project would provide relief assistance – cash and hygiene materials (face masks, sanitizers, soaps) to 18,000 women, girls and young people worst affected by the knock-on effects of the COVID 19 crisis.