The federal government on Thursday launched the National Gender Policy as a tool to deepen women involvement in Agricultural practices in Nigeria.
Mohammad Sabo, Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development, speaking in Abuja said that the document would promote and ensure the adoption of gender sensitive and responsive approaches towards engendering plans and programs.
“This policy would ensure that men and women have equal access and control of productive resources and facilities to bridge gender gaps”, he said.
The minister said that the document would provide a policy direction for the different roles of women and men in Agriculture for development and gender equality in access to resources as well as equal opportunities in maximizing means of livelihood and also necessary condition for progressively realizing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Nanono further said that ‘’ the National Gender Policy in Agriculture is expected to drastically reduce the vulnerability of women to biases in agriculture, address the unequal gender power relation and bridge gender gap. The policy, when implemented will be a tool for achieving gender – based reforms and increasing productivity by men and women along all the value chains in the sector improves food security ,reduces hunger, poverty and sustain the livelihoods of men and women who rely on agricultural value chains for common good’’.
The Minister stressed that ‘’ this event no doubt, is a unique platform aimed at contributing to the attainment of the on- going agricultural reforms and development agenda of the present administration’’
He stressed that the National Gender Policy in Agriculture is hinged on the National Gender Policy (2006) and its Strategic Implementation Framework (2008) as developed by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development adding that women make up about 50 percent of Nigeria’s population and are responsible for carrying out over 70 percent of agricultural labour.
” Women are involved in animal husbandry related activities, food processing activities but have access to less than 20 percent of available agricultural resources which is a serious impediment to their maximizing agricultural production and that is why the launch of this policy document is apt’’.
Abdullahi Adamu, Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, in his remark said that the role of women in the Agricultural sector cannot be overemphasized as women are involved in processing activities from clearing of the farm, harvesting and packaging of agricultural products.
The Permanent Secretary, ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed Bello Umar, represented by the Director, Special Duties /Gender, Zubairu Abdullahi, stressed that in bringing gender gap in Agriculture Sector, the Ministry apart from pursuing and encouraging the establishment of gender friendly policies, has initiated various women friendly programmes and activities aimed at mainstreaming gender into agricultural activities in collaboration with relevant organizations”.
He said “As a Ministry, we are committed to the socio-economic empowerment of women and men in the sector. We therefore, acknowledge, acting in line with the Sustainable Development Goals declaration, that gender equality is a prerequisite for eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable human development’’.
Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja
