NORTH CENTRAL ZONAL COORDINATION ACTION AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE EXPOUSES BEST PRACTICES

reports

Africawomannig.com September 13, 2023.

The consortium of International development partners including United Nations Women for Nigeria and ECOWAS, the European Union, Canada International Development Agency through the Spotlight Initiative, and collaborative partners of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Maryam Babangida Women Development Center (formerly – National Center for Women Development ) and Africa Women Leadership Network, penultimate Friday, September 1 2023 held a north central quarterly zonal coordination meeting to map out actionable activities for achieving gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE).

Dignitaries at the NC zonal coordination meeting on GEWE

The second of its kind, the first was held in North East Zone.

Present at the were UN country representative for Nigeria and ECOWAS – Ms. Beatrice Eyong, Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Moninola Udoh, Director General, Maryam Babangiga Center for Women Development, Hajia Benita Vilita- Bashir, Heads of gender Architecture in Niger, Plateau, Kwara, Kogi, Nassarawa Benue and the Federal Capital territory.

Cross section of Heads of Gender Architecture in North Central zone.

The zonal coordination meeting sorts to others

l Share the purpose and context for the quarterly zonal coordination mechanism for gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE)

l Further map coordination platforms/ mechanisms that promote GEWE in the North Central zone;

l Present and Review the status of the coordination mechanisms using a Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis,

l Draw a zonal and state-specific road map for enhancing the GEWE coordination mechanism in North Central,

l Agree on the Next steps.

All the states in the zone made presentations on the following five key thematic areas of

(a) Gender Based Violence (GBV) – Prevention, Response & Data Collection,

(b) Women Political Participation & Governance,

(c)  Women Peace & Security in the context of UNResoluton 1325 and the third Action Plan,

(d) Humanitarian Crisis and

(e)  Women living with Disabilities.

Each state shared with participants, its key coordination platforms, and mechanism, their SWOT Analysis, Key Observations, Recommendations, and Next Steps.

Based on each state’s presentation, the six states in the zone including Abuja went into break-out sessions to develop a state action work plan. It is expected that as the state’s gender architecture goes back to its various states, these actionable program activities will be backed with a costed budget that will be presented in the 2024 budget cycle currently being developed at the state and national levels. This will deal significantly with the issue of gender equality and women empowerment not having resources to redress a national malaise.

In the coming months, the train of quarterly zonal coo-donation meetings on gender equality and women empowerment will move to North West, South West, South-South, and South East, each sharing best practices for effectiveness and change.#