By James Eze (eziokwubundu”gmail.com)
The Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano has observed that his administration’s dogged pursuit of the ideals of Gender Equality is clearly ahead of the stipulations of the United Nations Goal for Gender Equity as captured in its 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda.
Goal 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls across the world by 2030 on the argument that providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, decent work, and representation in political and economic decision-making processes would fuel sustainable economies and benefit societies and humanity at large.
But delivering a paper titled “Breaking out of the Mould” at the first Development Partners Summit held on Tuesday at the Governor’s Lodge in Amawbia, Governor Obiano maintained that Anambra State shares similar concerns with the United Nations on Gender Equality may in fact have gone one-up above the UN.
“When I read Goal 5 of the UN 2030 Agenda, I felt happy because I think we are ahead of the UN on issues concerning Gender Equality in Anambra State,” Obiano declared and quickly pointed out that Anambra women probably enjoyed better competitive advantage with men than their counterparts across the country.
Here him, “This is why I say so. Women entrepreneurs in Anambra State went away with 60% of the sum of one billion, nine hundred and seventy five million naira that my administration has so far disbursed to Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Anambra State. Similarly, 60% of the newly earmarked Special Agricultural Intervention Fund that has been approved for this year will also go to our women.”
Governor Obiano also revealed that his administration had always reserved a large space for women, saying “a look at my Cabinet shows that we have made a great effort to give women a fair representation in the highest decision making body in the state with the appointment of 6 female commissioners. So, we are in agreement with the United Nations on the need for gender equality and the overall integration of women into the highest decision making organs in the land.”
According to him, his administration has also made heavy investments in Girl-Child Education Awareness Campaign in 56 communities across the state in addition to empowering 1,200 women with 500 fishponds and 700 chicken coops in a bid to provide invaluable income sources for rural women.
The governor also described his administration as a youth-friendly government, pointing out that youths make up about 55% of all political appointees serving his administration.
“In fact, Anambra State has a national record of having the youngest commissioner in the country, in Mark Okoye, who was sworn in at the age of 30,” Governor Obiano explained and further cited several other empowerment trainings his administration had organised for the youths of the state as clear indications of the youth-friendly policies of his regime.
“Meanwhile, my administration has also earmarked the sum of N500m as a Special Intervention Fund to be disbursed to farmers in the state. Since recent findings indicate that 24% of the 106,565 farmers in Anambra State are youths, it is obvious that most of the youths will benefit from this fund, he further revealed.”