The Kano State government, in collaboration with development partners, has launched a project to mainstream gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response into agricultural and value-chain activities involving women.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Persons with Special Needs, Hajiya Sajja Amina-Abdullahi, disclosed this on Tuesday at the project’s inception meeting and launch in Kano.

Ms Amina-Abdullahi said the project would focus on addressing GBV and discrimination against women engaged in agriculture and other economic activities.

She said, “The state government is implementing various women empowerment programmes, particularly in agriculture, skills acquisition, and other areas, under its Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy.

“The policy is introduced by the state government to enhance women’s economic participation and improve their livelihoods.

“The government has empowered 5,200 women in various skills as part of efforts to improve their economic opportunities.

“Development partners, including the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF), Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), Fable Foundation, and Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, have also been supporting women in agriculture, skills acquisition, and other areas.”

Ms Amina-Abdullahi said the newly launched project would address GBV, discrimination, and denial of women’s rights, particularly in the agricultural sector and other areas of economic empowerment.

She said the Ministry of Women Affairs remains committed to protecting women’s rights and supporting survivors of GBV.

The commissioner cited the case of a woman who sustained burns from hot water allegedly inflicted by her husband, saying the ministry had intervened to ensure that she received necessary medical attention and protection.

“With the consent of the state government, the ministry has taken measures to protect her rights and ensure that she receives the necessary medication,” she said.

Ms Amina-Abdullahi said the state government was committed to reducing the incidence of GBV in Kano.

She urged community elders and other stakeholders to speak out against GBV and desist from stigmatising survivors.

The commissioner also urged women to report cases to relevant authorities to enable the government to identify survivors, provide support, and maintain accurate records of GBV cases in the state.

“The ministry has designated three GBV desk officers to coordinate activities relating to the prevention of and response to GBV,” she said.

She expressed optimism that collaboration between the government and development partners would help reduce GBV and strengthen support for women and survivors across the state.

On her part, the technical adviser on the dRPC project, Nafisa Ado, said the intervention would engage stakeholders in selected communities, including traditional leaders, community members, and beneficiaries of AECF-funded initiatives.

According to her, the project is expected to reach 16,000 individuals, while 285 traditional leaders would be trained and 460 gender champions engaged to raise awareness about violence against women, including younger and older women and children.

She said the intervention would cover communities including Rano, Bebeji, and Dawakin Kudu, among others, to strengthen community-based responses to GBV and improve awareness of the dangers of violence against women.

The programme was attended by women involved in the agricultural value chain, who participated in discussions on preventing and responding to GBV and strengthening support for women within their communities.

 (NAN)