By Egena Sunday Ode
The extraordinary meeting the Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved the Women Economic Empowerment policy proposed by the Ministry of Women Affairs.
Disclosing this yesterday after the Valedictory FEC to wind down activities of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led cabinet, Minister of Women Affairs. Dame Pauline Tallen expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the feat.
According to the minister who briefed newsmen after the valedictory session, they had been working on the policy for the past one year, tarvessing the length and breadth of the country to collect inputs from women on how best they can be empowered.
Describing the policy approval a a major legacy of President Buhari, Tallen noted that the development of the country would remain a mirage of women who constituted over 50 percent of its population were not carried along.
She said: “Yesterday Thursday) Federal Executive Council approved the WEE Policy. The WEE Policy is Women Economic Empowerment. It is policy dialogue that we’ve been working for over one year. We’ve traversed all around the country, to the 36 states, having dialogues with the private sector, rural dwellers, to find the best way to empower women and get them into the mainstream of nation building.
“You’ll agree with me that women constitute over 50% of the population and the surest way to national development is to involve the total population of the country. If 50% of the population is neglected, it means the country cannot develop optimally, it’s like a country walking with one leg.
“This has been a dream we’ve been pursuing and finally yesterday (Thursday), Mr. President gave the stamp, it is a legacy that Mr. President is leaving behind by approving this Woman Economic Empowerment to help get women into the mainstream of financial plans to ensure that women are carried along in nation building.”
