NASARAWA STATE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY: Stakeholders, Converged To Discuss Human Capital Development Transformative Gender Policy Framework in Lafia, on Tuesday, 14th May, 2024.
The Nasarawa State Government has expressed commitment towards tackling gender disparities in the State.
The Director General/ Focal Person of the Nasarawa State Human Capital Development Agency, Habiba Balarabe Suleiman,said this in Lafia during a round table discussion on the Human Capital Development Transformative Gender Policy Framework with stakeholders.
They include, the First Lady of Nasarawa State, Hajiya Silifat Abdullahi A. Sule, who was represented by the Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Hajara Danyaro, Commissioner for Women Affairs, Aisha Ibrahim, wives of Local Government Chairmen.
Gender desk officers, led by the wife of the National President of Algon and Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area, Hajiya Zainab Aminu Maifata, NGO’s and CSO’s also attended the event.
Balarabe expressed hope that the round table discussion would generate into a robust document that would look into the essence and factors needed for women to attain the level of equity.
She :”The policy seeks to address gender related issues as they affect the Nasarawa State human capital Development Agency’s 6 thematic areas: Health and Nutrition, Education, Labor Force Participation, Youth, Social Development and Local Government and Community Development.
” We seek to achieve a policy that is implementable that will be generally acceptable and serve as a guide to impactful interventions.
“We want to achieve an increased number of educated girls, decreased out of school children, increased health and health security, increased level of financial inclusion and increased general participation for women and girls.”
The DG called on all the stakeholders who are champions for gender equity at their various levels, to dig into their communities and come up with challenges bedeviling women and girls with the focus on health for women and girls and the Girl-child education.
Balarabe also stressed the need to put laws in place and enforce implementation to ensure children and women are protected.
The discussion was impactful as the stakeholders took turns to talk about the challenges facing their various communities and the areas that need intervention.
The Chairperson, Committee on Women Affairs Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Hajara Danyaro, harped on the need for awareness campaign to promote menstrual hygiene in girls, promote family norms that promote protect women and girls.
In her statement she said,
“I charge all the wives of the local government chairman to look into your community and initiate a bill that promotes the rights of the women and girls as we are currently working on a bill that promote menstrual hygiene for girls by making available sanitary pads for women and girls”
she also urged women to speak up, be determined and fight for their rights.
The wife of the National President of Algon and Chairman of Lafia Local Government Area, Hajiya Zainab Aminu Mu’azu Maifata, said that the voices and plight of the less privileged should be amplified, and called on women to at all times support each other.
“We thank the Governor of Nasarawa State for creating Human Capital Development Agency because the Agency’s Director General, Habiba Balarabe Suleiman, is working to ensure that everyone is being included into the physical development of the state”, she said.
The Commissioner of Women Affairs, represented by her Director of Planing, Research and Statistics(PRS), Clement Audu Alu, called for increased advocacy to raise awareness on the provision for law that protects women against violence and to push for legislation that will empower gender officers for effective Mainstream.
The Consultant, Elizabeth Jeiyol,a Gender and policy development expert, Social impact consult, said the policy would help the state to target its intervention towards closing the gaps that are found in human capital development.
She also stressed the need for capacity building and skills development to tackle poverty at the lower level.
“Human capital Development has to do with the potentials skills and ability of people to be able to work to contribute and develop the state and communities as well as support the government to contribute to the overall development of the state”, the consultant said.
Other stakeholders also gave their contributions and aligned their thoughts with the hope to achieve solutions to their various challenges is addressed.
