Kwara First Lady advocates women empowerment, adolescent girls' education

The First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake AbdulRazaq, has highlighted the importance of economic empowerment, individual development and political participation as crucial drivers of women’s growth and advancement.

She emphasised the need to protect women’s rights, ensure education for adolescent girl, and safeguard them from harm.

The harm, she said, included child marriage and gender-based violence.

Ambassador AbdulRazaq stated these at the flag-off of the intervention initiative jointly organized by Chidimma and Havilah (CHF) and the Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women, and Children (SEPCEYOWOC).

Represented by Mrs. Adewuyi Victoria, the First Lady hinted that inclusive decision-making is essential in community-participatory approach to promoting the rights of women, adolescent girls and youths.

She said: “Inclusive decision-making is vital in fostering community-participatory approaches that uphold the rights of women, girls, and youth. They must be actively involved in planning, implementation, and monitoring processes.”

She urged capacity-building priority with training and enhancement initiatives for community members to safeguard the rights of women, girls and youths.

“Accountability and regular monitoring are crucial to ensuring progress,” she noted, highlighting that these efforts ensure women, girls, and youth are central to creating solutions that promote equity and justice while addressing their unique needs and perspectives.

Corroborating this, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, Mrs. Olanrewaju Rebecca Bake, emphasised the importance of prioritizing women and the adolescent girl child by addressing their challenges.

“We must consistently prioritize the education and empowerment of women and girls, tackling social norms and gender barriers including issues that hinder their development,” she asserted.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Prof Adaramaja, represented by Mrs. Funmi Afolayan, expressed the Agency’s support for the intervention project.

The SUBEB boss said the collaboration between Chidimma and Havilah Foundation and its development partners like the Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women and Children, aligns with the state’s ten-year sustainable development plan and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, which focuses on quality education.