BENIN CITY – Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO), has entered into a partnership with the development Research and Project Centre (dRPC), an intermediary non-profit organization to advocate for an increase in budgetary allocation for women empowerment in Edo State.

The project tagged ‘Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED)’, aims to increase the salience of women’s economic empowerment within national and state government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), increase the salience and knowledge of effective policies, programs, and strategies to advance women’s economic empowerment within communities of donors and national and state government’s MDAs, with a primary focus on women’s empowerment collectives, as well as women’s economic empowerment amongst civil society and influential leaders and their commitment to support change that might be in opposition to cultural and social norms.

Under the partnership, LAPO will conduct advocacy to relevant stakeholders and follow up on inclusion of women economic empowerment in budgetary allocation, create a consortium of about nine to ten Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and train them to do likewise.

This collaboration which is in line with LAPO’s vision of poverty alleviation and promoting gender inclusion will enable the organisation to facilitate and accelerate the economic empowerment of target beneficiaries in the state. The project will also improve staff capacities especially in the area of public sector engagement and advocacy.

Project PAWED kicked off with an advocacy visit to the Edo State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The team which consists of LAPO and DRPC representatives was led by the Executive Director, LAPO, Dr. Honestus Ayobami Obadiora.

Given the project, the Executive Director, LAPO, recognized that Agriculture has an important role to play in sustainable Economic Empowerment of women. He noted that women are still being marginalized due to cultural restrictions or gender-based deprivations at the grass-root level.

He, therefore, solicited for improved access of women to farm inputs and credits, deliberate efforts by the Government to involve more women in production and educate women farmers on effective methods of agricultural processing, preservation, and storage. He also solicited more government support in the area of budgetary provision for agricultural infrastructure, farm settlement schemes, and increased financing for women farmers to enhance agricultural productivity and women’s economic empowerment.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Peter Aikhuomobhogbe confirmed that the state government and ministry are currently implementing several women-friendly policies and programmes including a minimum of 40% women inclusion in government interventions and appointments. He however promised to include more gender-inclusive projects in the budget when and where necessary.

In addition, the Director of Agricultural Services, Erhunmwonsere Sunday noted that women are being used as tools for resistance even to gender-inclusive programmes and policy implementations and that there is a need to interface with the cultural interference to ensure maximum reception of gender-inclusive projects. He called on LAPO for intensive community level advocacy and sensitizations to reduce these hindrances.