By Justina Auta
Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs has commended ongoing efforts at the National Assembly on the Political Representation and Seat Reservation for Women Bill (HB.1349).
Sulaiman-Ibrahim gave the commendation while delivering her speech on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Renewed Hope Women’s Empowerment Programme in Delta State.
She said that the bill would correct structural barriers that have kept women’s voices underrepresented in governance.
“Let me pause at this point, to highlight ongoing efforts at the National Assembly on the Political Representation and Seat Reservation for Women Bill (HB.1349).
“This important legislation seeks to create an enabling environment for women’s political participation and correct the structural barriers that have kept women’s voices underrepresented in governance,” she said.
According to her, the Renewed Hope empowerment program was part of the strategic interventions to empower women socially, economically, and politically.
She added that food and non-food items had been distributed to vulnerable women to strengthen their economic resilience, as well as distribution of Solar Home Power Systems to selected women beneficiaries.
According to her, the ministry has scaled up the End Energy Poverty Project, Nigeria for Women Project – Scale Up (NFWP-SU), and ongoing legislative advocacy to strengthen protections against gender-based violence, among others.
Others she added include: the launch of the Happy Woman App, a digital innovation that will serve as a one-stop shop for women to access empowerment programmes, financing opportunities, and a national marketplace.
“I urge all stakeholders to renew their commitment and work to ensure that women will lead not only in the markets and the farms, but in the boardrooms, the parliaments, and the new green, blue, and emerging economies we are building,” she said.
