The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the project
tagged: “Japan-UNESCO project on Empowerment of Women and Girls in Marginalised
Communities for Better Well-being through Education and Advocacy’’ was
inaugurated virtually on Tuesday.
The project would be implemented in three states include
Delta, Gombe and Bauchi by UNESCO with funding from the Government of Japan.
Mr Dimitri Sanga, officer-in-charge of UNESCO, Abuja
Regional Office, said that the collaboration between UNESCO and Japan was
necessary to fast-track growth and improve the lives of women and girls in the
three states.
Sanga said that the project would help create a healthy
society to actualize the 2030 agenda as the intervention targeted the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) one, three, four and 16.
He said the project was aimed at creating awareness and
strategies on addressing the impact of COVID-19 and providing training on
preventive measures to women and girls through second chance education and
advocacy.
He added that the project would also increase awareness on
gender-based violence amongst young women facing marginalization.
He said that it would also provide psycho-social
rehabilitation in support of long term recovery of women and girls survivors of
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
According to him, the project would also build the capacity
of community media and balance gender-based violence reportage, development of
COVID-19 preventive messages and advocate for the rights of women and girls.
He noted that the partnership between UNESCO and Japan in
this regard would help alleviate poverty and improve the lives of citizens
which ultimately would contribute to peace, stability and inclusive growth.
Sanga urged the Gombe State Government to key into the
project by providing the necessary support to ensure proper implementation for
the benefits of women and girls in the state.
Mr Shinozawa Takayuki, Chargé d’ Affaires of the Embassy of
Japan in Nigeria said the collaboration was to promote gender equality and
socio-economic empowerment of women and girls in the three states.
Takayuki said that the large number of out-of-school which
had mostly affected women and girls compounded by the lockdown due to COVID-19
had contributed to the increase of SGBV, hence the intervention.
“Unfortunately, reported cases of gender-based violence in
marginalised communities have increased.
“It is in recognition of this that the Government of Japan
is partnering with UNESCO to empower women and girls in Bauchi, Delta and Gombe
states,” he said.
Takayuki said that the intervention would provide
psychological support and rehabilitation for women and girls, SGBV survivors
and second chance education for women and girls.
“The project will raise awareness on SGBV among the public
and protect women and girls from such violence,” Takayuki said.
He added that the project would alleviate the increasing
social tension worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remarks, the Gombe State Commissioner for Information
and Culture, Mr Julius Ishaya, expressed the appreciation to UNESCO and Japan.
Ishaya stated that the choice of Gombe State for the
implementation of the project was apt in view of the decade-long impact of
insurgency on the state being geographically-centered in the North east.
According to him, the Gombe State Government had been doing
a lot to promote girl-child education and welfare of women in the state and
would welcome and support any partnership to strengthen those achievements.
NAN also reports that in the three states, 690 women and
girls including SGBV survivors, 300 learners for second chance education would
benefit, while 150 survivors per state would be given psycho-social
rehabilitation services.
Also, 45 facilitators would be trained on COVID-19
prevention, while 45 media persons would be given training on SBGV reportage
amongst other trainings for Non-Governmental Organisations and community
groups.
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