Federal Ministry of Women Affairs & Societal Development

Established: 1989

Minister: Hajia Zainab Maina

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Table of Content• Budget• Advocacy-1• Advocacy-2• Advocacy-3• Rekindling Interests with Global Development Partners• Empowerment-1 • Empowerment-2 • Empowerment-3 • Empowerment-4 • Empowerment-5• Policies • Gender Units in all Federal MDAs. • Women in Politics• Women Inclusion in Governance• Health-1• Health-2• Improvement of Reproductive and Health Rights• Violence Against Women-1

• Violence Against Women-2• 1st National Retreat on Women Development, Peace and National Transformation• The Nigerian Girl Mentorship Programme• Child Development-1• Child Development-2• National Children Centre • Other Highlights-1• Other Highlights-2

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Budget

• Administration began Gender Budgeting in 5 pilot Ministries: Agriculture, Health, Communication Technology, Water Resources and Works.

• From 2013 N 3 billion was allocated to gender related components

• YouWiN! identified 1,200 women in May 2013 across the 6 geopolitical zones to receive funding in the 2nd round of a 3 round entrepreneurial competition

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Advocacy-1

• Multi-faceted Advocacy Strategies to ensure holistic approaches to tackling the various challenges and problems confronting mandate groups by visiting stakeholders at various levels, including: Advocacy Visits to states, the National Assembly and MDAs ; engaging State Executive, Legislature, Traditional Rulers, NGOs and Community-based organisations to seek legal and administrative reforms/policies for the advancement of women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly

• Visits to National Assembly has led to them dealing with Bills relating to women, Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly.

• Visit to Central Bank also brought the initiation of favourable policies that will enable women have easier access to loans and other financial support from Commercial Banks to boost their economic activities.

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Advocacy-2

• Recent directive by the CBN is that as from 2014, 30% of Board Directors of Banks must be women, while banks have been compelled to publish positions allocated to women and men in their organizations.

• Partnership with the Ministry of Health on Maternal and Child Mortality, Breast and Cervical Cancers, HIV/AIDS and Malaria control.

• Partnership with the Inspector General of Police to address incidence of Rape, Violence Against Women, Child Hawkers, Prostitution and Trafficking.

• Police Desk officers to undergo training on handling crimes against women and children. Gender Desks to be established in Police Stations nationwide.

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Advocacy-3

• Capital support to be provided to Women Farmers Cooperatives and Groups – to enhance productivity and output.

• Labour saving farming equipment/implements to be introduced for Women Farmers as a result of visit to Ministry of Agriculture.

• Visited Adamawa, Lagos, Oyo, Kaduna, Ekiti, Kogi, Jigawa, Kano, Bayelsa and Delta States.

• Visited and distributed aids, appliances and relief materials to Women and Children Hospitals, Children Homes, Old People’s Homes, VVF Centres and Persons With Disabilities.

• Free ante-natal and post-natal care for pregnant women and Under-5s after visit.

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Rekindling Interests with Global Development Partners

World Bank Polish Embassy

OXFAM

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Empowerment-1

• Business Development Fund for Women (BUDFOW) established as another funding window for female entrepreneurs. 56 Women projects have received about N82 Million from the revolving loan of the scheme.

• the Women’s Fund for Economic Empowerment (WOFEE)provides group credit facilities to women cooperatives in rural areas. About 5500 women groups have received N27.2 Million, out of which over 6000 jobs in animal fattening, poultry, farming, and trading were created during the period. 28 States of the Federation are participating in the scheme, out of which 12 States have contributed their counterpart funds in the sum of N 103,500,000.00

• Both funds come with a 10% interest rate• Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target

number 3, on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.

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Empowerment-2

• 77 Skills Acquisition Centres under construction across the country. 24 Centres are completed and fully equipped. Each centre expected to train 500 women and persons with disabilities annually, to reduce unemployment and associated social vices, increase income generation through job creation for women and assist in reducing youth restiveness.

• Skills Acquisition support to VVF (Vesico Vaginal Fistula) distributed to rehabilitation centres in Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara States. These include Irrigation Pumping machines, Grinding machines, Sewing Machines, Commercial Phone Booth Accessories, Clothing and other materials necessary for training and commercial activities.

• 5 NGOs received support in the sum of N5Million to establish various economic ventures, and in turn employed over 1000 vulnerable women.

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Empowerment-3

• About 2000 vulnerable women, including women in distress, Women with disabilities, Widows, Victims of HIV/AIDs were grant-aided and provided with empowerment equipment such as Grinding Machines, Coolers, Hair Dryers, Tailoring and Embroidery Machines to make them self reliant.

• Cottage Industries established in Abia, Ekiti, Cross River, Delta and Sokoto States to assist women in the processing of farm produce.

• Established in line with activities of cooperative groups that specialize in different areas of production and availability of raw materials.

• Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Capital Development Fund to implement a National Grassroots Economic Empowerment Scheme to reduce poverty and unemployment in the country, especially for the rural women.

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Empowerment-4

• Inter-Ministerial Committee on Women in Agribusiness constituted to mainstream gender in the Agriculture sector. To raise access bar of women in agriculture and to help them benefit from the programme on the Nigeria Inventive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL). Women in Agribusiness have started enjoying from the support provided to them by Ministry of Agriculture in the areas of extension services, seeds and seedlings, fertilizer and other farming inputs. Local production of women-friendly farming implements and processing machines to enhance productions will soon be available for women farmers.

• 600 people with disabilities have been assisted to aid their mobility and enhance their standard of living

• 115 visually impaired people benefitted from skill acquisition programmes from the Nigerian Farmcraft Centre for the Blind, Lagos.

• Income Support and Skills Acquisition Training Programme on Soap Making, Poultry/Fish Farming and Tie and Dye was held in November 2012 for 72 elderly people from 13 Local Government Areas of Ebonyi States, and the sum of N50, 000 take-off grant was given to each of the participant at the end of the training programme

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Empowerment-5

• 570 Social Workers have so far graduated with National Diploma in Social Work from the Federal School of Social Work, Emene, Enugu State.

• 100 students were admitted for the same programme in 2013. Another set of 3000 Social Workers have been identified though a survey of Social Development Work Force to be trained in collaboration with UNICEF and USAID

• Trained and empowered 400 people with disabilities cutting across various strata of the economy, with a N30,000 take-off grant to each participant;

• 20 Disability-Focused NGOs were empowered with N 500,000 each to conduct Train-the-Trainers programme in their respective areas of operations.

• 10,395 vulnerable children nationwide are currently being supported in the areas of Education through the payment of school levies, health, provision of psychosocial, shelter, food and nutrition.

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Policies

• Developed a draft Social Welfare Policy in 2012, aimed at improving the welfare of the society’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups e.g. impoverished, families in distress, elderly and discharged offenders.

• Participated in review of the 1999 Constitution, to ensure incorporation of gender perspectives.

• Reviewing the National Gender Policy (2006) and its Strategic Implementation Framework and Plan (2008) to tackle cases of gender concerns and global emerging issues.

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Gender Units in all Federal MDAs.

• Gender Focal Persons now strategically positioned in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

• Mainstreaming Gender in the Federal Civil Service.• Liaising with the Office of the Head of the Civil

Service of the Federation and the Federal Civil Service Commission to create appropriate the appropriate team and appoint relevant officers to coordinate the activities of the Gender Units.

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Women in Politics

• Refocusing the activities of the 6 Women Zonal Political Empowerment Offices towards identifying resourceful candidates that will contest in subsequent elections.

• Launch of The Nigerian Women Trust Fund, the first of its kind in Africa, to boost the political participation of women in Nigeria.

• Working with the Management of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund to find additional resources to support female candidates.

• Working with Development Partners and other stakeholders to build the capacities of prospective female candidates in the arts of politicking.

• concluding arrangements to resuscitate ‘100 Women Lobby Group’ to mobilize support for greater participation of women in politics and governance for the 2015 General Election.

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The president has entrenched the 35% Affirmative Action as regards women in governance through the appointment of 13 ministers, 5 Special Advisers, 10 ambassadors, 11 permanent secretaries, 16 judges of the Federal High, 16 judges of the Court of Appeal, 3 judges of the Supreme Court, 6 judges of the National Industrial Court, Acting President of the Court of Appeal and Chief Justice of the Federation.

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Health-1

Reduced the rate of maternal mortality by:• Distributing 2,500 Mama Kits during advocacy visits to

various States• Supporting the training of specialized Health Personnel• Conducting research on maternal health and distributing

publications on social causes of maternal deaths• Distributing 5,000 delivery kits for indigent pregnant

women • Undertaking advocacy and social mobilization campaigns

for improved maternal mortality at National and State levels.

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Health-2

• Providing 112 fully kitted Ambulances in 36 states in the Emergency Ambulance Intervention Scheme

• Providing 3 Boat Ambulances in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers States. Additional services in the remaining riverine areas.

• Intensify awareness on the use of primary healthcare facilities in rural areas.

• 1000MVA Kits for reduction of Maternal Mortality.

Improvement of Reproductive and Health Rights

Women supported

Boat ambulances VVF support0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

20112012

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Violence Against Women-1

• The National Gender Policy has been passed into law by 23 out of 36 States.

• The Draft Sexual Harassment Policy for Educational Institutions by Federal Ministry of Education

• The Policy prohibiting Sexual Harassment in the Work place by Federal Ministry of Labour

• Successful passage of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill by National Assembly

• The Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB) is awaiting passage by the National Assembly

• The Police Gender Policy by the Nigerian Police Force.• Working with Ministry of Justice, Human Rights Commission, FIDA,

WRAPA, NAPTIP, other Civil Society Groups and NGOs, to ensure the passage of appropriate legislations to address violations of women’s rights.

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Violence Against Women-2

• Participation in the United Nations Development Programme on Gender Issues and the constitutional review

• Support for the successful election of the country’s candidates Mrs. Theodora Oby Nwankwo into the UN Committee of Experts on Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) for 4 years and of Ms. Ekaete Judith Umoh as Rehabilitation International (RI)-Vice President (African Region).

• Commenced full services at the Kurudu Centre for Female Victims of Domestic Violence in the FCT and deployed professional counsellors. Adequate training facilities on income-generating activities are provided so the women can become self- reliant.

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1st National Retreat on Women Development, Peace and National Transformation

• Held in Akwa Ibom in February 2012.• As a result, the Ministry is now collaborating

with Wives of State Governors (working as peace advocates), State Ministries of Women Affairs, Women Focused NGOs, Community-Based Organisations, Civil Society Groups and Local Government Women Development Offices across the country, towards promoting peace, security and national transformation.

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The Nigerian Girl Mentorship Programme

• Launched the Nigerian Girls Mentorship Programme with the theme “Our Girls, Our Future: Inspire to Aspire”, in collaboration with National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), UN Women, UNFPA, Action Aid and UNICEF.

• Designed to mentor selected young girls to enable them have access to knowledge and training on a range of issues. Pilot scheme at the Federal level has already commenced and about 30 young girls are being mentored by women in the Executive and Legislative Arms of Government.

• Adopted by states at the recently concluded National Council on Women Affairs and Social Development.

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Child Development-1

• 23 States and the FCT have passed the Child Rights Act. Efforts ongoing in the remaining 13 states.

• Act will go a long way towards addressing cases like child labour, child trafficking, street begging and hawking by school-age children, child and teenage rape, and the recent reported cases of baby factories in parts of the country.

• Collaborated with USAID, Office of the Special Assistant to the President on MDGs and other Partners to develop a National Priority Agenda (NPA) for Vulnerable Children in Nigeria.

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Child Development-2

• Nigerian Children’s Parliament introduced, for 10-18 year olds to discuss issues relating to their own welfare. Elections conducted in November 2011.

• 2 Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) established in Calabar and Makurdi, to coordinate medical services to OVCs in South-South and North Central zones. Completed and handed over to the states in December 2011.

Nigerian Children Resource Centre

Abandoned since 2008 due to lack of budgetary support, the National Children Centre is now back on its feet. It will, in addition to housing the National Children’s Parliament, serve as a one-stop referral point on all issues and concerns regarding Nigerian children.

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Other Highlights-1

• Signed MoU with South Africa on Bilateral Cooperation on Women Development, Child Welfare and Support for Persons with Disabilities.

• Also entered into other bilateral relationships with Gambia and Niger on Women Empowerment and Child Development, Protection and Support.

• The ECOWAS Gender Development Centre (EGDC) has trained selected Nigerian Women in Agricultural processing and handcraft.

• The government has introduced the Female Teacher Trainee Scholarship Scheme to give opportunities to women from marginalised, remote, rural areas to acquire skills and knowledge and train as teachers

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Other Highlights-2

• Organised Forum of Female Ministers and Special Advisers to mainstream gender in governance.

• The admission of Nigerian young girls into the Regular Service Training programmes of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is the first time in Nigerian history where we witness gender mainstreaming in the admission and training programmes of the prestigious Academy.

• Over 10,000 women and children were reached with Conditional Cash Transfer programmes across 8 States: Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Niger, Ogun, Zamfara and the FCT.

• Nigeria’s candidate elected into the UN CEDAW Committee of Experts.

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