Women empowerment crucial to MDGs attainment – Fayemi

The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has said that the country’s hope of attaining the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 remains a pipe dream except women are economically empowered to contribute their quota.
Besides, Fayeni said that promotion of the well-being of women should
top the agenda of government at all levels for the country to catch up with the rest of the world.
She said this during her visit to Oja Oba Otun, in Moba Local
Government Area in continuation of her market outreach programme to
the 16 local government areas of the state, where buses were donated
to each market, while traders received cash grants.
Apart from the donation of 16 brand new 18-seater buses to markets in
the LGAs, the governor’s wife said that about N25 million would be
doled out as cash grants to boost the businesses of the traders.
The visit also witnessed health talk by an official of the state’s
ministry of health, Kemi Akinleye, as well as HIV/AIDS sensitization
by a team from the State AIDS Control Agency, led by the Project
Manager, Dr. Charles Doherty.
Scheduled to span three weeks, the programme is a collaborative effort
of the ministry of women affairs, social development and gender
empowerment, local governments and the Ekiti Development Foundation.
The foundation is the brainchild of the wife of the governor.
Fayemi stressed that business development and gender mainstreaming
were the fulcrum of women empowerment.
Apart from cash grants and buses, she said that each market would also
receive plastic containers, standard measure bowl and pouch with
waistband for traders to keep their money during business hours.
She said: “We can’t achieve the MDGs as a country without empowering
women. The well-being of women should also be a major concern of
government at all levels.
“My work around the world has exposed me to the basic needs of market
women to develop their businesses and for them to be able to operate
in an environment conducive to trading.
“Part of the promises of the Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, during the
campaign for last governorship election was to change the fortunes of
market women and also the market environment. This informed this
market outreach I’m embarking upon.”
She added that the new markets being planned by the government would
have modern facilities, including toilets, crèches, water facilities
and lock-up shops.