Ministry to monitor 2.1bn Women’s peace project in the North.

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina has said that her Ministry will monitor the 2.1 billion Naira project aimed at promoting women’s engagement in peace and security in the Northern States to ensure successful implementation.

The European Union and the Federal Government had recently signed the agreement for the project which is wholly funded by the European Union and will be implemented by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The Minister stated this when the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Michel Arrion, led a delegation on a visit to her in Abuja.

Maina said the project was timely as several women and children in Northern Nigeria,  particularly the north-east, are helpless, “Many of them are suffering from trauma as a result of losing their homes, husbands, and children are in need to be rehabilitated (sic)”, she said.

While thanking the EU for its support for the development of Nigeria, the Minister suggested buying air time on radio to publicize the project; saying 99 percent of people in Northern States rely on radio for news.

On the issue of women’s political empowerment, Hajiya Zainab Maina called on the European Union to support the efforts of the Ministry in the areas of capacity building, mobilization and empowerment of female politicians wishing to contest in elections.  She stated that her Ministry has established 6 Zonal Women Political Empowerment Offices and a Trust Fund to support women candidates.

Earlier, the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Michel Arrion said, the delegation was at the Ministry as a follow up to the signing of the agreement in order to seek the Ministry’s partnership and suggestion on programmes in the coming weeks.

Arrion said, the EU is also working towards projects that will improve the lives of women and children that include immunization of children and primary health care, food security, fight against trafficking and women’s participation in politics and overnance.