Gender relations play an important role in food security and nutrition management in the household – Tallen.

CHIDIMMA UCHEGBU-Abuja.

The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs( HMWA) Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR,KSG) has said that gender relations plays an important role in food security and nutrition management in the household and community.

The Minister who made this remark in her keynote address at the Media briefing in the Ministry in Abuja to Commemorate the 2022 International Day for Rural Women and the World Food Day with the theme: ” Rural Women Cultivating Good Food For All and Safe Food Today For A Healthy Tomorrow”,

stressing that the production and consumption of safe food have Immediate and long-term benefit to the people, planet and the economy. Dame Tallen said that the impact of Covid- 19 on food and nutrition recorded income losses, trade disruptions, and increases in food prices brought about by abrupt breaking in the food system.

According to Minister, “the situation was further worsened as a result of insecurity due to the farmers and herders clash, armed banditry, insecurity, child molestation, kidnapping and spike in sexual and gender Based Violence, violence communal conflict, and natural disaster. It created supply shocks which continue to translate into high food prices and the average prices selected staple foods, both year-on-year and month-on-month”.

Tallen said the plight of rural women should be protected and supported. She celebrated Nigeria women’s resilience and indeed every day should be the rural women’s celebration and recognition who toil daily to ensure our national growth and development and for us to have food in our tables.

The Minister commended the support from the UN women’s relief assistance/ palliative including food and hygiene materials ( washable face masks, detergent, bathing soap, saniterzer etc were distributed to about 40,000 household/ vulnerable women and girls worst affected by the knock-on effect of the Covid-19 pandemic in the six – geo-political zones.

Also, World Bank supported women’s project which contributed to the promotion of diversified growth by enhancing livelihoods and increasing access to finance for women in six states to cover additional 29 States. they are Abia,, Akwa-Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun, and Taraba States, through the established Women Affinity Groups, the project has disbursed over 67,358 women beneficiaries.

It has also helped to facilitate improved access to finance by enabling the rural women to meet their specific business needs, increase their productive assets and improve their quality of life, including their food, education and health as well as contribute to household expenditure in the long run.