From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
The Society for Women Development and Empowerment of Nigeria (SWODEN), in collaboration with Nutrition International (NI), organised a two day meeting with women right organisations and other stakeholders in Jigawa state on Gender Responsive Behavioral Change Intervention.
Speaking during the meeting, the SWODEN state program officer, Mrs Mercy Edmond said the meeting aimed at building capacity of Women Right Organizations on awareness creation and sensitization for increased engagement and support by men to empower women to access Maternal and Newborn child Health (MNCH).
She maintained that, the meeting also engaged Women Right Organizations on gender Inclusiveness and how to address misconceptions and Sexual Gender Based Violences as well as to create partnership and synergy for enhance impact.
Mercy added that, the stakeholders identified all women right organisations across the state and projected achievements, lessons learnt, challenges and recommendations as well as design a way forward to achieve Behavior Change Intervention on men to support women particularly the pregnant women, children and improve Nutrition.
The program officer further explained that, the gender responsive BCI strategy project aims to increase the awareness and knowledge of pregnant women including (pregnant adolescent girls and their influencers, caregivers, male motivators including health providers on Anti- Natal Care (ANC) services, Consumption of IFA, Diarrhea, Nutritious Iron rich foods.
She added that the project which is projected to reach men, adolescent boys, women and adolescent girls aimed to increase open dialogue around decision making and equitable relationship in caregiving and couple communication within the household and community in targeted states of Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, Jigawa and Yobe states.
While making her remarks, the special assistant to the governor Malam Umar Namadi on entrepreneurship, Mrs Fatima Nini Kaila commended SWODEN and Nutrition International for engaging women right organisations on awareness creation for men to support women on Maternal Newborn child Health.
She also called on 27 newly elected chairmen to support fight against Gender Based Violences by standing for the victims both financial and at the Court.