Okowa reaffirms commitment to women, girl-child empowerment

By Nosa Akenzua, Asaba

Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to boost women and girl-child empowerment and education in the state.

Senator Okowa stated this in Asaba on Tuesday during an advocacy and inception meeting of the Japan-UNESCO project on empowerment of women and girls in marginalised communities for better well-being through education and advocacy.

The goverenor, represented by the Commissioner foer Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Patrick Ukah, said that empowerment and education of the girl child was deserving special policy attention in view of the male dominated social construct that could marginalise the girl child.

Okowa said that the meeting would afford the state the opportunity to do a proper self examination and track the progress using advocacy and education to advance the economic and social status of traditional underprivileged girls in the state.

He noted that 26 years after the Beijing Declaration, the girl-child was still grappling with issues of gender discrimination, crushing poverty, early/forced marriage, identity crisis, social and parental pressure as well as low self-esteem.

Senator Okowa said that Delta State recognised the importance of women and girls in bringing about societal transformation hence their empowerment through advocacy and education was top on his administration’s priority list.

The governor said that in line with the state government’s commitment to the education and empowerment of the girl-child, the state had created the Girl-Child Empowerment Office with the mandate to train and empower young ladies between the ages of 18 and 30.

Earlier in his remarks, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Paul Osahor, lauded UNESCO for its efforts at tackling gender-based violence as well as support in curtailing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The information commissioner stated that the Japan-UNESCO project would go a long way in alleviating the problems associated with the effect of COVID-19 pandemic that had ravaged the world.