The Japanese Government is to empower 2,000 vulnerable women in Borno and Yobe State.
The women are among thousands affected by the Boko Haram crisis, and are mostly residents of internally displaced persons camps in the two most affected North East states of Borno and Yobe states.
The Japanese is working in conjunction with United Nations (UN) Women and Search for Common Ground Nigeria, an International Non-Governmental Organisation (INGO) to empower the women and address the root cause of gender-based violence (GBV) in the crisis ridden North East.
Addressing a joint press conference, Tamwakat Golit, the Project Manager of the Protection, Empowerment and Resilience Building (PERD) project of the Search for Common Ground Nigeria and Lilian Unaegbu, UN Women Programme Coordinator and Officer in Charge, Maiduguri-Sub Office, said the flag-off project will cover three local governments in both Yobe and Borno State.
Golit said will be implemented in Mafa and Jere local government areas (both in Borno State) and Bade local government area (in Yobe State.
She said the project is aimed at empowering women and building resilience by increasing access to justice for cases of GBV through both informal and formal judicial systems and engage them in livelihood and income generating activities (IGA) to increase their financial independence.
She said: “Although women will be the primary target, local authorities and stakeholders will be engaged at large to ensure the success of the activities and encourage positive behavior change among men and the promotion of male champions.”
On her part, Lilian Unaegbu disclosed that apart from PERD project, UN Women is also implementing a joint project in partnership with FAO, WFP and European Union, which focuses on developing agric based livelihoods in Borno state, covering 13 LGAs; Bui, Bama, Dikwa, Damboa, Gubio, Gwoza,Jere, kaga,Kondunga, Mafa, Mobar, Monguno and Ngala.
Unaegbu said: “Beyond this, UN Women is strategically positioned to build humanitarian actors capacity in gender mainstreaming as well as ensuring that gender issues are taken seriously whilst providing essential lifesaving assistance to women, men, girls and boys affected by the insurgency.”
