Festus Ahon
9 January 2009
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Sulematu Suleiman has said that the National Gender Policy "will lead to enhanced equality and equity in our society, and therefore should be given high priority."
The Minister who was represented by the Chief Women Development Officer, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Mary Isang spoke at a one-day partnership building workshop in Calabar, Cross River State.
The workshop which had to do with partnership building on the strategic implementation framework for the National Gender Policy was held at the State Library Complex in the city.
According to her, "we invited you all to this meeting as key stakeholders due to the strategic role and positions you occupy, that is important to the successful implementation of the National Gender Policy at all levels of governance.
"It will also lead to enhanced equality and equity in our society, and therefore should be given high priority and should feature prominently in the work plan of all stakeholders present and absent today."
Continuing, she said, "It is expected that the cross-section of attendees at this programme will form a nucleus to further propagation and dissemination of the contents of the document. Also, we expect you to monitor implementation and assess impact."
The Minister was of the opinion that "the Strategic Implementation Framework, if properly utilized will assist all stakeholders in implementing policies, programmes and projects geared towards gender development. It will help to appraise and monitor rates of compliance by all stakeholders, whom we expect to act as change agents in the society."
In her welcome remarks, the Cross River Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ekama Awara said "the State Ministry on its part will continue to collaborate with its Federal counterpart and relevant stakeholders so as to disseminate the policy at the grassroots where gender discrimination abounds."
She noted that "about years ago, the Ministry took delivery of over 1,000 copies of the policy and distributed to line agencies in the state and local government ares, sensitize stakeholders on the importance of the policy and the need to disseminate it to the nooks and crannies of the state."
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