Edo State Ministry of Youth and Gender Issues will Partner with the Global Programme, Migration for Development, GIZ to sensitize and educate youths across the three senatorial districts about their rights and the need to acquire skills
The Edo State Commissioner for Youth and Gender Issues, Hon. Andrew Adaze Emwanta Esq. JP and the Edo State Coordinator, GIZ PME, Eseosa Okuku agreed in a meeting held in Benin City recently to collaborate and fashion out programmes for youths
According to the Commissioner,” Let us deal with Gender discrimination, sensitize and educate the public on their rights. Let us look at sexual harassment and Childs right protection. The idea of a policy is to create an action plan.
“We are very grateful for the collaboration to protect our daughters and sons from being molested. Sexual Harassments is not tied to any specific gender but it is a big social problem and we can solve the problem working together with GIZ.”
“The Childs Right law is there, but what steps do we take to protect them. It is good to have a law but when there is no protection, the law is just there.
“We can start the sensitization and activate the policy in places of worship, at home and schools. The idea of having a policy is to create an action plan, without an action plan, the law is just there. With policy there is no more conspiracy of silence, so everybody becomes a stakeholder in it,” he added.
According to him, ” Let us counsel them towards getting skills and training them to be able to get capital after getting those life skills. When somebody has been treated as a victim of Gender violence the person needs a life.”
While disclosing that there is need to create role models, the Commissioner disclosed that in December this year, the Ministry will be organizing the Midwest Youth Summit, which used to be called Edo Youth Summit to keep the youths busy.
“We are expanding the scope to be able to accommodate people from Delta State, Anioma Youths, Isoko Youths, Ijaw Youths and to give everybody a sense of belonging. There are lots of people who have done very well in entertainment, sport, media that will be brought in as youth ambassadors who will help counsel these youths.
“We have very many Nigerians abroad doing well who are from Edo. The beauty of using the expression Midwest is that it will include people from Delta who have excelled also. There will be football matches between Delta and Edo youths and this will eventually become an annual ritual,” he added.
The State Coordinator , Global Programme, Migration for Development, GIZ, Eseosa Okuku in her remarks said Gender issues has always been very close to the heart of the organization that started its programme in Edo state in 2018.
‘We are going to collaborate with the Ministry of Youth and Gender Issues because our target group are youths. We are involve in counselling and providing information to youths who want to migrate.
“It should be noted that not every body can have a white collar job, some people who want to migrate do not have the required information and we provide such information and advise them,” she added
Also in attendance at the meeting were directors of the Ministry, including the Director of Gender, Mrs. Joy Ihensekhien, the Director of Planning, Mr. Oboh Igberaese Benedict, the Director of Youth, Mr. Asiriuwa Victor (JP), The functioning Director of Child Development, Mrs. Kate Bello, the Director, Shared Services, Mallam Usman Binanu and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Peter Osagie.
