Ochekpe calls for partnerships to empower women, girls

The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, has called for partnerships among stakeholders to promote the Girls and Women in Nigeria project.
Ochekpe made the call at the inauguration of the GWIN project in Abuja on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the project is aimed at providing water kiosks and sanitation facilities in public places, such as motor parks, markets among others.
It is also aimed at supporting the empowerment of women and girls in rural communities in Katsina, Jigawa, Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau, Benue, Osun, Ondo, Delta and Bayelsa States.
Ochekpe said the project had led to the empowerment of 778 women and girls in four pilot states – Abia, Bauchi, Osun and Plateau.
She said: “We are calling for greater partnerships from development partners and all other stakeholders to enable us scale up this programme in 10 more Local Governments in the implementing states.”
The minister, who said that 156 rural women and girls had been trained on water kiosks operations and maintenance, stated that 287 women had been trained in Community Led Total Sanitation programmes.
Ochekpe said the ministry recognised the importance of mainstreaming gender in the water sector as an essential tool to promoting inclusive and dynamic development.
She also said that the ministry had embarked on encouraging the integration of gender perspectives and concerns in planning, designs, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and projects.
The minister, who commended President Goodluck Jonathan for initiating the project, described it as a life changing initiative with multiplier effects on the populace.
The Policy Advisor of UNWomen Nigeria, Adekemi Ndieli, also praised the Federal Government for funding the project.
Ndieli said the project would improve the lives of women and girls.
She said March 8 was celebrated as International Women’s Day to acknowledge women’s contributions in all fields of endeavours.
Ndieli reiterated the UN agencies’ commitment to programmes that would improve the lives of women and girls.
She, however, stressed the need to address socio-cultural practices that promoted helplessness, pointing out that this would help the growth of the nation.
She said: “A lot needs to be done to improve the lives of women and girls.
“We need to build an all-inclusive government for development to take place.
“The transformation of nations and communities is not easy and must be done right.
“You need to be able to peer into the future by steering in the right direction through planning.”
Some of the beneficiaries of the project commended the Federal Government for executing the project.