Global Affairs Canada, ActionAid Nigeria extol Mbah for promoting gender-based programmes

A Delegation from the Global Affairs Canada, office of the Canada high commission Abuja and the ActionAid Nigeria has applauded governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his administration’s commitment to implementing policies aimed at improving the living standards of women and girls.

This was evident on Tuesday at the governor’s conference room during a courtesy with the purpose of identifying areas the organisations could partner and support the government in promoting gender-based programmes.

We learnt that the Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria Project is a five-year project funded by Global Affairs Canada.

The leader of the delegation and the Head of Development Cooperation, Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria Project, Djifa Ahado, said the project is aimed at tackling the barriers to gender equality and supporting the empowerment of women and girls through provision of financial and technical resources to local feminist/women’s rights organisations in Nigeria.

She noted that the intervention is designed to respond to the challenges faced in the efforts to eliminate discrimination and rights violations in policy and legislation and the provision of services, as well as harmful social beliefs and practices.

Also speaking, the head of programmes, ActionAid Nigeria, Celestine Odo while recognizing that women are the bedrock of any society, and investing in their rights has a profound impact on sustainable development, noted that the agency has enjoyed a strong collaboration with the state government in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Responding, governor Mbah reassured of his administration’s commitment to continue to implement programmes that would concretise the aims and objectives of the Women’s Voice and LeadershipI hi Nigeria Project and the ActionAid Nigeria in the state.

Mbah further acknowledged that the fight against poverty cannot be won by his administration without putting the women into consideration, reiterating that the government has zero tolerance for gender-based violence in the state.