Patience Ekeoba, the acting deputy country representative to UN Women Nigeria, has highlighted the need for increased domestic funding to support women living with HIV in Nigeria.

Ms Ekeoba, when she led the Association of Women Living with HIV in Nigeria, Delta chapter, on an advocacy visit to the commissioner for women affairs, community and social development, Pat Ajudua, on Friday in Asaba, said the funding could come from government institutions, the private sector, foundations, and charities.

The goal, she said, is to ensure women living with HIV have access to care and other essential services and can participate in governance processes.

Ms Ekeoba emphasised that UN Women would continue to support the Association of Women Living with HIV in Nigeria in promoting the rights and empowerment of women living with HIV.

She noted that UN Women has been working with ASWHAN for eight years by providing technical and institutional support to build their capacities and promote their rights.

Ms Ekeoba said that the organisation has developed a toolkit and advocacy kit to help women living with HIV understand their rights and advocate for themselves.

The acting deputy country representative said that the advocacy training organised for states in the southern part of the country was part of a larger effort to support women living with HIV in Nigeria, including the development of a community-led advocacy toolkit.

The training, supported by UN Women, brought together representatives from 18 states in Southern Nigeria to enhance their advocacy skills and push for better services for women living with HIV.

She stated that, at the end of the training, participants would develop state-specific advocacy action plans with clearly defined targets, timelines, and expected outcomes.

”The training aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of participants in articulating and carrying out effective advocacy for women living with HIV,” she said.

Earlier, ASWHAN demanded social and programme inclusion, legal and policy advocacy, economic empowerment, and support for children and vulnerable groups.

They also requested inclusion in government empowerment programmes, health insurance schemes, and decision-making processes, and demanded economic empowerment initiatives, job creation, and scholarship opportunities for children living with disabilities.

In her response, the commissioner emphasised the importance of advocacy in empowering women living with HIV. According to her, advocacy is just as crucial as gifts, grants, and empowerment.

She noted that without knowledge and information, one may not know how to utilise the resources available to them.

(NAN)