The European Union has partnered the High-Level Women Advocate to advocate for increased women in decision-making positions across the education sector in Jigawa.

Muttaka Mukhtar, an education specialist with the UNICEF Kano field office, disclosed this at a two-day learning visit to Katsina by the Jigawa HILWA officials.

He explained that the Jigawa HILWA was recently established also to facilitate increased enrolment, retention, transition, and school completion by children, especially girls.

Mr Mukhtar revealed that the Jigawa HILWA’s visit to Katsina would enable them to learn from their Katsina counterpart, which has existed since 2014.

According to him, members of HILWA are high-level women who have reached positions of integrity and authority in public service, business, academia, or politics.

Speaking, the HILWA chairperson in Katsina, Mariya Abdullahi, said before establishing HILWA, gender equality had made little progress on all fronts, especially in the North, from access to education to women in decision-making positions.

According to her, HILWA is a UNICEF-sponsored NGO that advocates for girls’ education at the national, state, and local levels and women’s participation in governance.

She pointed out that they also provide advice to help with planning and budgeting to sustain interventions at a larger scale, mentor girls to make informed decisions, take responsibility, and strive for excellence.

Mr Abdullahi stated that HiLWA inspires girls to reach their full potential through dedication and hard work and also believes that women’s participation in education is critical to girls’ education programmes.

(NAN)