Press Release:THREE (3) DAY CAPACITY BUILDING ON GENDER & EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES BILL & LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY, ORGANISED BY THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS ADAMAWA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH UN WOMEN, HELD ON 6TH–8TH DECEMBER, AT SILVER HOTEL, GIREI LGA, ADAMAWA STATE.

About the Women Peace & Security Programme.
UN Women is currently implementing a European Union funded Programme “Promoting Women’s Engagement in Peace and Security in Northern Nigeria”, which supports the Federal and State Governments (Adamawa, Plateau & Borno), to strengthen women’s leadership, advance gender equality and improve protection for women and children in conflict settings.  The objective are to: 1. Strengthening women’s role in conflict prevention, peace-making and peace building; 2. Mitigating the impact of conflict upon women and girls; and 3. Establishing a conducive environment for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and monitoring of gender equality commitments in Nigeria.

Capacity Building on GEOB

As part of the implementation strategy for the Women Peace and Security Programme (WPS), the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, in partnership with UN Women, (with EU funding), organized a 3 Day Capacity Building Training, on GEOB, Legislative Advocacy, and Gender. Training objectives:

Enhance stakeholders understanding on gender & equal opportunities Bill;Develop the capacity of the Technical Working Group to fast track passage of the Bill.

The training attracted over 60 stakeholders, drawn from NBA, MULAN, Judiciary, Legislators/Councilors, JNI, CAN, FOMWA, WOWICAN and the Media. Others were: Research Institutions (MAUTECH, AUN), Government Line Ministries and parastatals, NGOs, CSOs, and UN Agencies – UN Women, UNICEF, OCHA, UNFPA. During the welcome address, the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs, Honourable Aliyu Bello Tola appealed “to all stakeholders to work together for the actualization of the equal opportunities bill in the state”. He also called “for greater involvement of women in decision making at all levels.”

In addition, the Permanent Secretary, of the Ministry of Women Affairs (Hajia Maisaratu Ahmad Bello), and Director, Adamawa Planning Commission (Mrs Gladys Dzarma) in their Goodwill messages stressed that “we are not calling to be equal with men or take over their status but rather, to collaboratively work with men, to achieve a common goal toward the passage of the Bill”
The Purpose of the Bill

In this regard, the purpose of this Bill is to give effect to:

(a) Chapters II and 1V of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;

(b) The International Covenants on Human Rights which affirm the principle of non-discrimination … of any kind including distinction based on sex;

(c) Certain provisions of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa.

It is important to mention that, Adamawa is one of the States where there are ongoing efforts towards the passage of the Equal Opportunities Bill (GEOB) as during the last administration, the Bill was previously presented at the Adamawa State House of Assembly and it did undergo 3 (three) public hearings, however it was set aside and members of the House advised that more sensitization be made in order to facilitate easy passage – which informed the GEOB Training.

Workshop Outcomes

Enhanced knowledge on gender, GEOB, legislative advocacy and human rights;Nomination of Legal, Mobilisation, Media, and Advocacy Technical Committees;Development of Workplans by the Technical Committees to guide activities geared towards the passage of the Bill.Formation of strategic networks and synergy towards the passage of the Bill.Review of the Adamawa Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill.