NGO empowers 30 households on gender action skills in Bauchi
Story from Ahmad SAKA, Bauchi
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Attah Sisters Helping Hands Foundation (ASHHF) with funding from Women For Women International (WFWI) has empowered 30 households on gender action learning skills in Bauchi and Ganjuwa local government areas of Bauchi State.
Speaking at the end of a 10-day training of the households, Mrs Comfort Attah, Executive Director (ED) of the foundation said 15 households from Ganjuwa and 15 households from Bauchi LGAs, were trained under the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) project.
Attah said Gender Action Learning System focuses specifically on changing gender transformation linking change at individual, household, community and macro-levels.
She said: “It develops participatory visioning and planning skills and strengthens social networks for women and men at all levels.
“It includes livelihoods, value chain, leadership, organizational development, financial services, food security, environment, civil society development and conflict resolution”.
Attah explained that GALS tools are mainstreamed in organizations and with multiple stakeholders to increase the effectiveness of any development process and produce information for gender justice advocacy.
“Developing gender action learning skills of vulnerable stakeholder groups in the value chain, to enable them to identify and implement sustainable strategies to increase incomes, resources, economic choices and negotiation power,” she added.
Mrs Attah pointed out strengthening youth (especially young women), with a particular focus on aspirations, influencing household decision-making, rights awareness, self-esteem, group membership and leadership skills.
“Changing gender and power relations so that youth, especially young women, can access and benefit from self-employment opportunities.
“Making violence against women and girls, discrimination, and the economic, social and political exclusion of women unacceptable in different cultural settings, mobilizing youth, their families and communities to change deep-rooted social norms and behaviour”.
She said the project focuses also on mainstream gender equality by addressing the power relationships at the root of inequality to meet policy on gender equity and women’s empowerment.
Also speaking on behalf of the households, Malam Lawal Umar Miri expressed their appreciation to ASHHF for providing skills and knowledge to explore economic, social and political transformation.
He said GALS training would motivate them to plan their business and make intentional actions in their business that would benefit them, family and the entire community.
To also improve their business capacity and diversify by investing part of their business profits in savings.