BY Joyce Remi- Babayeju
Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari has said that the new National Action Plan on Agriculture will favour women famers more who constitute majority of farmers in the country.
Mrs Buhari formally launched the National Action Plan on Agriculture at the 2018 Women and Girls Summit in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child at the National Women Development Centre in Abuja.
She said that the Action Plan will go a long way to support agriculture in the country to transcend subsistent farming in the country.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Aisha Abubakar at the launch said, “Agriculture is an important engine of growth and poverty reduction, though the sector has improved in performance over the years, the expected result is yet to be achieved because women who are often a crucial resource reservoir in agriculture face constrains that reduce their productivity.”
She however lamented that although women contribute significantly to agriculture and food production, malnutrition is higher amongst women and children.
I am positive that the launch of the National Gender Action Plan for Agriculture will improve on the already sustained efforts from all stakeholders towards ensuring gender equity in agriculture which will in turn promote the standard of living of the women farmers in the country, Abubakar noted.
Meanwhile Director-General of National Council of Women Development, Barrister Mary Ekpere-Eta, said that the Girl Child day is marked to support more opportunities for the girls and increase awareness of gender inequality face by girls worldwide based upon their sex.
Ekpere- Eta highlighted areas of inequality for the girl child as right to education, nutrition, legal rights, med care and protection from discrimination, violence against and early child marriage.
The President, National Council for Women Societies, NCWD, Mrs Laraba Shoda, emphazied the need for sex education in homes and schools, saying many are still ignorant and advised girls to be determined to achieve their dreams, saying education is key.
Further National Women Leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, Hajiya Salamatu Bawa, present at the occasion advocated that young girls should be taught to know their rights, be innovative and contribute meaningfully for the overall development of the country and appealed that the girl child should not be limited to stereotypes.
