The Federal Government (FG) has promised to ensure gender equality in the implementation of Value Chan Development Programme (VCDP) in order to enhance value addition and productivity.
National Coordinator VCDP, Mr Garba Bala, started this at a five-day workshop for staff of VCDP from nine states organised by Federal Government in conjunction with Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) in Lafia the state capital.
According to him, “the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) which is the partners supporting VCDP emphasis on the issue of gender in the implementation of the programme”, he said
He added that the workshop was aimed at educating participants on Gender Action Learning System segment of the programme with a view of ensuring women are fully involve in its implementation.
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Coordinator of VCDP, Dr Eunice Adgidzi said the workshop was aimed at teaching the participants inclusiveness to carry woke along in family and community affairs.
The Nasarawa State Coordinator added that with knowledge gain in the workshop, they would ensure that more women are included in the implementation of the programme in line with its objectives.
“Thirty-five per cent of the matching grants provided by the programme are to be earmarked for women, to enable them to upgrade their production and processing technologies and capacities.
“In addition, the programme is applying the Gender Action Learning System, a community-led methodology for rural livelihood development and gender equality,” the State Coordinator added.
She listed that participants were drown from the nine states of Nasarawa, Niger, Kogi, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Ogun, Taraba and Benue states respectively.
Similarly, President of Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) Mr. Obadiah Anji, said they are partnering with the FG in training the participants in a methodology that would help ensure gender equality in value chain.
“This training would bring the spouse together and encourage men to give women opportunity to contribute their quota in the development of the agricultural sector,” he added.
He explained that must times men tend to prevent their wives from certain agricultural activities due to cultural believes.
Dominica Nwabufo
