Local Government Councils have been charged to localize the National Gender Policy to galvanize grassroots development.
Stakeholders at a one-day dialogue on Centering Gender for Development organized May 5, by Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center in Uyo, made the call after a robust review of the state of gender inclusion in governance at the local level.
Political and community leaders made up of councilors, community leaders, members of the Host Community Development Trusts, HCDTs, PWDs, women, youths and Civil Society members from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states, were part of the stakeholder engagement, put together according to the Executive Director of Kebetkache, to re-examine the local governance practices and fashion out how to make it more inclusive, through gender centering, for more impact.
Political and community leaders were advised to factor gender into their policies and programmes as a sure root to sustainable development.
The event, a follow-up to a research conducted in the represented states by the organization, which revealed a general very low presence of women and persons with disability in leadership at the local level, factually examined the state of gender inclusion, the existing challenges in the region, and prescribed solutions.
It noted that development cannot be complete without bringing women who, constitute almost half of the population and their concerns, on the decision table.
Participants agreed that a lack of inclusion policy in the system locks out women, other vulnerable groups, and their needs, which makes societal growth slow.
While a few HCDTs reported conscious inclusive policies especially, in the area of empowerment opportunities for women, girls and persons with disabilities, there was clear evidence of very minimal women presence in the leadership structures of the Trusts. That called for the development of a policy framework to drive inclusion across board and serve as a guide for community leaders and local government authorities.
Decision makers were charged to always check to ensure that envisaged policies and programmes are gender sensitive before embarking on them. HCDTs in particular, in view of their nearness to the people and resources at their disposal, were charged to intentionally build women, PWDs. youths and children into their project designs, and, create room for women’s presence in their management and operations to help transform lives in oil host communities.
There were however, narratives indicating progress and levels of attitudinal change towards women as some traditional councils in Cross River and Ogoni in Rivers States are beginning to bring women on board their traditional ruling councils, a development hailed as welcomed.
There were also recommendations that local government councils be made fiscally autonomous by a legislation setting up a local government fund allocation management away from the present Joint Allocation Committee, JAC, which has made autonomy difficult.
The stakeholders recommended equal education among boys and girls in the family circle, improved mobility access for PWDs and their inclusion in employment, health and mental health support, as well as care for the elderly.
Although the Niger Delta has pockets of conflict, the stakeholders observed the absence of a conflict management mechanism to effectively address the challenge. Calling for a unified plan, they urged the involvement of women as major conflict burden bearers, in peace-building committees as stipulated in UNCR 1325.
Going forward, they said governments should engage community people in budget planning to ensure that actual needs are addressed and also avoid execution of projects, that end up not accepted by the people.
The event was supported by Ford Foundation.
