The First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, has underscored the importance of economic empowerment and political participation for women in the country.
She described such undertakings among other initiatives on personal development as crucial drivers of women’s growth and advancement in society.
Ambassador AbdulRazaq spoke at the flag-off of the intervention initiative organised by Chidimma and Havilah Foundation (CHF) in collaboration with the Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women, and Children (SEPCEYOWOC).
She stressed that inclusive decision-making is essential in a community-participatory approach to promoting the rights of women, adolescent girls, and youth at large.
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According to her, there is a 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.
She added that “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.”
AbdulRazaq, who was represented by her Secretary, Mrs. Adewuyi Victoria, further noted that capacity building should be prioritised with training and enhancement initiatives to safeguard the rights of women, girls and youth.
She called for partnerships and collaborations between local organisations and stakeholders to ensure sustained progress in promoting the rights of adolescent girls, women and youth.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Olanrewaju Rebecca Bake, in her remarks, emphasised the importance of prioritising women and the adolescent girl child by addressing the challenges they face.
“We must consistently prioritise the education and empowerment of women and girls, tackling social norms and gender barriers including issues that hinder their development,” she asserted.
Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Professor Shehu Adaramoja, represented by Mrs. Funmi Afolayan, expressed the agency’s support for the intervention project.
He noted that the collaboration between CHF and its development partners, aligns with the state’s ten-year sustainable development plan and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on quality education.
District Head (Alangua) of Tanke in Ilorin South Local Government Area, Alhaji Umar Salawu, thanked the CHF and its partners, for their initiatives and the community-approach to such intervention in the community.
He promised to fully support the project and ensure the active participation of the benefiting community to maximise the impact on adolescent girls.
Earlier, the National Technical Lead of CHF, 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 underscored 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.
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