Leadtots and Human Development Services has organized a two-day capacity building training for women belonging to various political parties, women focused Civil Society Organizations, Students Union Governments (SUG) drawn from various tertiary institutions and women activists on leadership and political participation.
Mr. Yahaya Bako Galadima, a resource person who is also the immediate past Executive Director, Leadtots and Human Development Services Abuja, said the training was organised for 15 women drawn from political parties, women groups, activists and students’ unions operating in Bauchi State.
Mr. Yahaya said the aim of the training was to equip participants with technical know-how needed to elevate themselves from the shackles of men domination in politics and leadership positions in the state.
“Women are ignorant of the problems affecting them, that’s why they find it difficult to find a way out for themselves.
“Women need to understand their problems to be able to surmount courage to speak with a common United voice for themselves,” the Executive Director said.
Earlier in his remarks, Mr. Seun Justin Onarinde, Bauchi Programme Officer, said the participants at the end of the two-day training will be organised into a vibrant advocacy team to serve as local political mobilizers and activists in the State.
He said they will also enhance gender policy formation and political leadership.
Mr. Seun said Leadtots and Human Development Services with support from National Endowment for Democracy, Washington will carry two summits in Bauchi and Yobe States to reflect on the unique challenges that young women face in politics and governance and to devise strategies to address these concerns.
“We will train 60 women leaders, activists and students’ groups in four North-Eastern States, guiding them to articulate and advance gender inclusion policy priorities in each State under the Women Peer Support Network”, the Programme Officer emphasised.
Barr. Amina Garuba, a resource person who spoke at the training said, it is high time for Nigerian women to step out and make their voices heard in order to be considered relevant in political and leadership schemes.
Hajiya Zainab Lawal Hassan, Executive Director, African Hub for Community Initiative, a participant at the training said she gained a lot from the training and was ready to speak for sidelined voiceless women in her community and the state at large.
On her part, Blessing Ezekiel, Public Relations Officer, Students Union Government ATBU said the two-day training afforded her the opportunity to learn about women needs and how to act on them saying; “activism does not mean fighting aimlessly, one needs to know how to actualize set goals without causing dispute.”
Halima Ibrahim, a participant at the training from Northeast Zonal Office said the training empowered her with a lot of motivation and courage on how to engage local women about issues of gender inequality.
