The Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative has called on the Kano State government to domesticate the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy, emphasizing its crucial role in enhancing financial inclusion, vocational training, and economic opportunities for women.
The call was made at a stakeholders’ engagement workshop titled “Workshop on Enhancing Awareness and Promoting Women’s Inclusion Within the Emerging Industry,” held in partnership with Fable Advisory.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, Amina Hanga, emphasized the importance of raising awareness about the policy before its implementation.
She said, “The event, which we are holding today focuses on the Women Economic Empowerment Policy, a federal government initiative that we seek to have domesticated at the state level.
Hanga stressed that empowering women economically would yield widespread benefits, positively impacting their families, communities, and the overall development of Kano State.
She explained that the policy, which had been validated in a retreat held in Kaduna last December, is now awaiting domestication by the state government.
“During the Kaduna retreat, we invited various stakeholders to review the existing document and ensure it is culturally appropriate, considering our sensitivities.
“The document has been validated, and now we are just waiting for the state government to domesticate it.”
She added that the policy seeks to address critical barriers faced by women, particularly in accessing financial services.
“Because many have low literacy levels or lack collateral, they cannot access bank loans. We are looking at how banks can offer concessions, maybe through reduced interest rates or special programs to assist women.”
She urged all stakeholders to collaborate in raising awareness of the WEE policy.
Earlier, in her remarks, the Kano State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi Sani assured participants that the government is committed to domesticating the policy soon.
“Women are left behind in areas of emerging industries, especially the digital economy. I want to assure you that the WEE policy document will soon be signed, and implementation will follow immediately.”