Some women leaders and entrepreneurs have canvassed for more empowerment and support initiatives to develop rural women in the Federal Capital Territory.
The Stakeholders made the call in an interview with newsmen Monday in Abuja against the backdrop of the 2023 International Day for the Rural Woman.
Sharpedgenews reports that the UN sets aside Oct. 15 annually to celebrate the rural woman whom it said contributes about 40 per cent of agricultural labour in developing nations.
NAN also reports that the theme of the 2023 international day is “Rural Women: Cultivating Good Food for All.’’
Mrs Afiniki Dauda, an entrepreneur and a market leader in Guto community, Bwari District, said that the government and other organisations need to put more efforts to develop women at the grassroots.
According to her, lack of access to finance and other services had been common obstacles for rural women in Nigeria, in spite of their efforts to be productive.
She said: “Gender inequalities, discrimination and social norms have always put women in a less advantage to access agricultural extension service.
“This also happens when they try to access the bigger markets or land and formal financial services in spite their high participation in the agriculture sector in the society.
“Rural women still find it difficult to access loans, insurance on crops, livestock and other productive resources, making it difficult for them to engage in entrepreneurship.
“For me, these limitations are worsened by lack of finance and management knowledge, business literacy and other empowerment strategies.
“This is why government at all levels and private organisations need to intensify efforts to support them if we really want to boost food production and bring about rural development in the process’’.
Dauda added that stakeholders needed to work together with women groups at the rural level to hold regular empowerment workshops that would enrich productivity.
Similarly, Mrs Grace Ojo, Programme Manager, Ruth Foundation Network, an NGO, said that government and local professional organisations play vital role in rural development.
Ojo said that, although the efforts by both government and other organisations have been relentless in supporting rural women, there has been limited progress in addressing the challenges faced by rural women.
“There is a need to reinforce capacities of rural women to increase their income and access to inputs, knowledge, market and decent work.
“We need to also strengthen institutional capacity to implement laws that will help facilitate access to financial services, as well as advance women’s rights to land ownership.
“We must engage them on the go, so as to drive at solving their immediate challenges and not discourage them at their best performance,’’ she said.
Ojo said the rural woman remained an important sector of the society and needed all support to meet up in every aspect of life, especially since they contribute to the economy in various trades.
Mrs Maryamu Barnabas, a women and youth activist also opined that issues affecting the elderly women at the grassroots should also be put into consideration.
Barnabas said that due to the rapid increase in population, there was the need for a health management service for the elderly.
She said: “Rural elderly women experience a low quality of life due to financial difficulties, psychosocial isolation and lack of general support.
“So, in all our schedules towards promoting the rural woman and her trade or business, access to healthcare should be paramount as well. It is indeed a vital support system.
“We all can only work when we are alive and in good health condition’’.