By Joyce Asuquo
100 female artisan trainees are currently undergoing a 40 days training on various construction skills at the National Centre for Women Development, NCWD.
Director General of the NCWD, Barrister Mary Ekpere Etta at the opening ceremony of the CWD- GIZ Residential Capapcity Building for Female Artisan organized by the centre yesterday in Abuja said that the female artisans who were selected from the 240 female Artisans trained in the last four years on Trade Test 3 is in recognition that women’s economic empowerment is the first step to freedom.
According to Ekpere- Etta the NCDW is contributing to raise a viable and skilled workforce to meet the challenges of unemployment in the country.’’
Tiling and Masonry, Air – Condition and Refrigeration, Generator Repairs and Plumbing and Piping jobs have long being seen as male preserves and in the past gender biased, adding that the centre represents a rich endowment by Nigerian women for the practical manifestation for women and young girls’ emancipation through education, self achievement and mobilization noted paucity of skilled artisans in the construction industry, she said.
According to her, the centre’s idea is to empower female youths as skilled workers who will have a competitive edge over their male counterparts , adding that it is to provide a driving force to help the young women to start small- scale economic activities in their communities.
Today we have entered a new phase of project where 100 selected female artisans are expected to participate in the advance level of training leading to the award of trade test 2 and 1 certificate.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development Barrister Vincent in a goodwill message disclosed that the National Assembly would engage the recent crop of 100 female artisan trainees in their ongoing construction projects to encourage them.
Ofumelu said this yesterday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the NCWD- GIZ capacity building for female artisans.
In a goodwill message said that the female artisans’ training would change the narratives that some jobs are preserves of men, adding that the trainees should take the training seriously.’’
A beneficiary of the training, Ms VAlentina Effiom who is a graduate of theatre Art said that she was attracted to plumbing job because it is one of the rear jobs for women in this generation and it gives her the opportunity to prove that women also can do the jobs of men.
