SUSTAINABLE COVID-19 RECOVERY CAN’T’ BE LEFT TO CHANCES – DAME TALLEN
Oru Leonard
Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, OFR, KSG has declared that sustainable recovery plan, post-COVID cannot be left to chances.
Dame Tallen stated this at media engagement during the closure event of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Project at Abuja on 30th August 2021.
She noted that COVID19 crisis has exposed and substantially widened the gender inequalities, especially in developing countries as Nigeria and that many women have experienced loss of jobs and various forms of challenges which have led to loss of lives and likelihood.
Consequent upon her submission on the imperative of not leaving sustainable post-COVID-19 survival plan to chance, Dame Tallen appealed that “We all have an important role to play in supporting the socio-political economy of women for recovery” and that “It is in realization of this that, a UN multi-sectoral COVID19 response under the UN Basket Fund was initiated”, she added.
She disclosed that it was in a bid to ensure due considerations for the inter-sections between COVID19 and the Social Safety Net Support, including health and social essential services that her Ministry worked to mitigate the risks and impacts of the pandemic on the vulnerable women, girls and young people. “This initiative brought about a joint collaborative agreement with UN Women, UNAIDS and NACA”, she said.
Tallen further said that accesss to financial assistance has been a greater burden not to talk of unpaid care work, domestic violence, and their inability to get basic health services for themselves and their households. The pandemic has revealed the deeply rooted gender inequalities that exist in the country and contributed to widening the gap given the nature of their burden as women/mothers alongside their roles as caretakers.
The Minister of Women Affairs also disclosed that “In the signed MOU between these organisations, the Ministry alongside the team was charged to mobilize the most affected communities and raise awareness on the spread of COVID19, risk mitigation, capacity building and empowerment of vulnerable women in 10 states with high prevalence of the pandemic, Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases, HIV/AIDS, Women living with Disabilities, Widows, Elderly and others as at the time of project conceptualization and commencement in April 2020.”
Dame Tallen said that the extension in closure dates was to allow total coverage and to ensure the poor vulnerable women in the Ministry’s 10 targeted States of Akwa Ibom, Borno, Bauchi, Edo, Ebonyi, Delta, Lagos, Gombe, Sokoto and FCT reap maximum benefit from the project before its closing.
She announced that the goal and objectives of the RCCE project through risk communication, social mobilization, and community engagement and the overall objectives have been achieved. “The target was to support the National Multi-sectoral COVID19 pandemic response under the UN Basket Fund towards reaching 10,000 vulnerable women and girls worst affected by the knock-on effects of the crisis in:
· 60 communities,
· 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 10 priority States have been fully met and surpassed with additional 1,500 households reached, making a total of 11,500 (Eleven thousand, five hundred households) with cash palliatives to improved their livelihoods.”
Dame Tallen announced other objectives of the RCCE project which was achieved to include:
· Increase awareness of Gender Based Violence and COVID19 pandemic;
· Improved behavioral change to respond to COVID19;
· There has been promotion of knowledge of CSOs and Communities to respond to COVID19 preventive measures; and there has been
· Improved women’s participation and girls’ inclusivity in development process through introduction to the formal banking system;
· Accountability of women-led monitoring groups for COVID19 resources including building capacity of people to effectively coordinate COVID19 responses in the affected States have been fully met.”
Dame Tallen gave a summary of beneficiaries’ State by State including those paid by cash and by Bank account as : Lagos, FCT, Bauchi, Delta, Edo, Ebonyi, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom, Borno and Gombe states totalling 11,500
While appreciating members of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) which serves as the governing body of the project for providing direction, guidance, and leadership for the effective implementation of the project, she commended the Project Technical Committee (PTC) for providing technical guidance for the administration of the project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, including oversight for implemented activities.
The Minister revealed that the State Project Implementation Team under the coordination of State Ministry of Women Affairs (SMWA), was also setup to support the project in the States with representatives from Government and Civil Society Organization (CSO) actors, Federation of Muslim Women (FOMWAN), Women’s Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Girl Guides and Association of Women living with HIV/AIDs (ASWHAN) amongst other partners.
Dame Tallen extended her appreciation and recognition to the National Social Safety- Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) for making available its database on the poor and vulnerable households across the country while calling on the various State Governments to ensure the expansion of the project to reach more households.
(FMWA Media)
