Katsina state is set to empower no fewer than 400 ,000 women through a World bank empowerment programme which kicks off anytime from now.
The women are to be empowered in various business projects including fish farming, pottery,oil extraction and poultry,among others.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Zainab Musawa confirmed the development.
She revealed that the beneficiaries had already formed themselves into 7,000 Cooperative groups and have begun to meet weekly with a view to perfecting arrangements for the project take off.
The Commissioner revealed ” We have at least 400,000 women from all the three senatorial zones of the state to benefit from this World bank Empowerment programme. We have paid our counter part funding and the women have already begun to meet weekly as part of preparations for the project take off.”
Hajiya Musawa assured that with the programmes being put in place for women in the state, katsina women have a better future to take care of their children and family.
She maintained that the state Government was working towards giving the women the financial muscles that will help them assist their families and their communities.
She said ” We are here to change the status and the life of Katsina women. From that of poverty to prosperity; We shall empower our women; our young girls so that they will not need to beg to feed their children or meet their responsibilities in the family.
” A woman that is better informed, financially empowered, and medically fit will not be a liability to her community. In fact, she will contribute more to her community.”
The Commissioner also spoke on how the state was working towards further protecting women and children in the state, among which she disclosed, is the establishment of a gender based court to prosecute those who perpetrate violence against women and children.
She said ” As part of measures to reduce gender violence against women and children in the state ,we are setting up s special court called gender based court this quarter. We are working and working very hard to ensure that the court takes off as scheduled.
“The court will try such cases as rape, sodomy against children, child abandonment and forced marriages, among others. We have met the state chief judge and we have been to the state CID over the issue. The state chief judge has promised to assist us that the court comes up on board as scheduled.”
The Commissioner also revealed that structures were being put forward to ensure that the domestication of the Child Protection law works in the state up to the local Government level, to help in the implementation of the law up to the local government level in the state.