By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
Women in two rural communities of Badel and Nbankwara in Dass Local Government Areas of Bauchi state Tuesday benefitted from a donation of two rice milling machines by the UN Women, as part of the commemoration of International Rural Women’s Day Celebration.
Launching the machines on behalf of the agency, the UN Women Country Representative, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, said that women account for about 70-80% of the agricultural labour force, including informal work, and perform the bulk of unpaid care and domestic work within families and households in rural areas.
She explained that the UN Women is this year collaborating with Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Bauchi chapter and the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) to provide Automated Rice Milling Machines to two rural communities of Dass Local Government Area of the state.
Ms. Beatrice Eyong said that the collaboration is aimed at increasing and enhancing women’s economic empowerment through climate-smart agriculture, saying the technologies to be launched will be a step closer to economic empowerment for the rural women of the two Dass communities.
The Country Representative disclosed that the agency in addition is also supporting rural women in Bauchi through climate smart practices with the use of biogas as an alternative source of cooking fuel for rural women.
“The use of biogas would reduce deforestation, time labour for women who have to walk distances to get firewood and generate income for women while simultaneously tackling health risks associated with firewood, deforestation, and climate change challenges”, she stated.
“Every year, on the 15th of October, the International Day of Rural Women is celebrated across the world. This year, the theme is, “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”. The objective of the International Day of Rural Women is to eradicate discrimination faced by women in rural areas”.
She further explained that UN Women is creating awareness of key issues of women and their rights, poverty, hunger, and malnutrition faced by women in rural areas, stressing that the agency remained committed to promoting women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria as a whole and Bauchi state in particular.
Ms. Eyong further explained that the event will mark the beginning of discussion on the domestication of the National WEE policy in Bauchi state, saying through the support of implementing partners, Dass and Bauchi state governments, the challenges would be addressed, solutions proffered, and sustainable pathway will be set for the empowerment of rural women in the state.
She also noted with delight that Bauchi women have shown a deep commitment to growth and resilience in face of adverse economic challenges facing rural women of the state, as evidenced in the laudable production and processing of rice that Dass local government is well known for and the support the government provided to the people of the state.
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