Economic Empowerment
The Minister noted that dRPC has equally supported the ministry through the launch of the Women's Economic Empowerment policy, released shortly before the end of the former administration.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Ohaneye, has given an award to the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC) following its contribution to the development and launching of the women's economic empowerment policy in the country.
At the award ceremony on Monday in Cross River State, the Minister noted that dRPC has equally supported the ministry through the launch of the Women's Economic Empowerment policy, released shortly before the end of the former administration.
"The recognition bestowed upon the dRPC-PAWED by the National Council on Women's Affairs is a testament to their exceptional dedication and impact. It highlights the pivotal role of civil society organizations in driving positive change and transforming women's lives in Nigeria. This recognition will undoubtedly inspire other organizations and stakeholders to support women's economic empowerment initiatives nationwide," Mrs Ohaneye said.
Responding, dRPC's Director of Projects, Stanley Ukpai, who represented the Executive Director, Judith-Ann Walker, at the event, indicated the importance of women's empowerment as an agenda in Nigeria's development landscape.
He said that the policy will address disparities, promote gender-inclusive economic growth, and foster an enabling environment for women-owned businesses to thrive.
"Amidst the formulation and implementation of the Women's Economic Empowerment policy, the dRPC and PAWED WECs played a pivotal role in supporting the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. This demonstrated its commitment to gender equality and women's rights by actively engaging in advocacy to raise awareness about the importance of women's economic empowerment among policymakers, civil society, and focus groups.
"To strengthen the evidence base for policy formulation, PAWED provided its research on various aspects of women's economic empowerment, analyzing the barriers women face in accessing credit, markets, and entrepreneurship opportunities and providing valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders," he said.
About the WEE Policy
On May 25, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy to drive female participation in nation-building.
Former Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, who facilitated the launch of the policy, noted that it would recognize cross-cutting enablers such as women's financial inclusion (WFI), literacy, digital innovation, literacy, access, household, workplace, and community support structures.
Mrs Tallen also said the policy was initiated to get women into the mainstream of the country's financial plans and it will drive gender equality, women empowerment, and poverty reduction.