Mrs Joy Thomas, the Programme Coordinator, Ruth Foundation, an NGO, says empowering more women in the society will increase community development.
Thomas said this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday on the sidelines of the organisation’s Empowerment and Capacity Enhancement Workshop for Women in Bwari, Abuja.
She said that the organisation, which was funded by various donors ranging from individuals to religious bodies among others, aimed to bring succour to families via the use of skills to make money.
“We offered vocational training for various skills acquisition for 50 women in Bwari and today, out of the 50 beneficiaries, 23 persons received cash awards to boost their already established businesses.
“And 28 others have received starter packs to put the training they have acquired into practice.
“This programme was initiated to help vulnerable women, especially the very young ones in some of these communities, to help them bring succour to the pressing demand of the present economy.
“Participants were drawn from Kuduru, Baran-goni, Sabon-gari, Ushafa and Jigo-Peyi communities of this Council.
According to her, addressing life’s challenges, especially after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, required all human resources, irrespective of gender for a better economy.
She said that continuous empowerment of women at the grassroots was crucial to the development of every community and the society at large.
This, she added, would help women to be less dependent on only one source of income.
Thomas said that other ways to empower women was to break gender norms and traditional roles in some societies, while encouraging women with talents to work and not remain idle.
“Give women access to capital to improve their businesses after teaching them financial freedom. They can use their talents to help themselves and their children.
“It is also important to create awareness of the woman’s potential in the work force to give room for advancement.
“This is not the time to be gender bias.
“We must give equal privileges to all because teamwork gives more efficient result and we also have equal rights to contribute to the society.
“It is by empowering women, especially at the community level, that we start addressing some of our economic challenges that are poverty -related. Give them more support and life gets better,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Joy Danladi told NAN that she received N10, 000 from the organisation to boost her ‘akara’ business.
Danladi, while appreciating the organisation for impacting on her business, promised to use the money to expand her business.
She also asked the organisation to reach out to many others in other communities, who needed such assistance.
Another beneficiary, Mr Isaiah Shemang, said that his daughter, who participated in the training for three days, has learnt how to make homemade soap and pomade.
He expressed joy over the impact the organisation had made on his daughter and promised to encourage her to sustain the skill to use the profit to meet her personal needs.
NAN reports that participants of the three days workshop received starter packs ranging from flour and baking items, beads, homemade soap ingredients among others. (NAN)
