Sola Ojo, Kaduna
A Zaria-based non-governmental organization, Women Connect Initiative with the support from RiseUp, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gender Policy Unit of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria to carry out Advocacy for Compulsory Technical Vocational Education for rural women and girls (ACTIVE 4 Women) in Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Signed in Zaria after a two-day meeting with the Board of Trustees of Women Connect Initiative (WCI) and the Gender Policy Committee of the Ahmadu Bello University, the MoU comes at part of efforts to support the Kaduna State Government in its quest to use education to position rural women and girls to be financially independent and self-sufficient.
The advocacy project follows the findings of the Gender Empowerment Index which places rural women and girls in Kudana as one of the vulnerable groups in terms of acquired skills, school drop-outs and early marriage.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting, the Director of Gender Policy Unit, ABU Zaria, Prof Binta Abdulkarim noted that, technical and vocational education has become imperative for the survival of rural women and girls.
“It is a known fact that Kaduna State government is dedicated to girls’ education. Nevertheless, our advocacy is simple. We want the state government to focus on technical and vocational education for rural girls and women,” said Abdulkarim.
“Kudan LGA is a concern for us because the numbers of school drop-outs and women without skill-sets there is depressing. Rural women are one of the economically disadvantaged in Kaduna. A state law or bye-law to appropriate or enforce budgetary funds for local government areas to run TVE programs will suffice.