Abuja: The Sustainable Women Economic Empowerment and Peace Initiative (BSWEEP), a non-governmental organization, has intensified its efforts to promote women’s empowerment, peacebuilding, and girl-child education in various communities within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Hajiya Ruqayya Ibrahim-Kewa, the Coordinator of BSWEEP, highlighted these initiatives during a media engagement in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Ibrahim-Kewa stressed the importance of strengthening initiatives aimed at preventing Gender-Based Violence (GBV), promoting girl-child education, and supporting women’s economic empowerment. She revealed that the organization has provided support to 200 girls in Jiwa Community and 150 women across Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and women’s groups during recent advocacy visits and community engagements.
She further mentioned that plans are underway to establish peacebuilding clubs in selected FCT schools to promote understanding, tolerance, and reduce conflicts and violence in society. “We have trained women in various skills to enable them to earn a livelihood and contribute to the growth and development of society. We have also supported improved access to girl-child education and peacebuilding initiatives for national development,” Ibrahim-Kewa stated.
Hajiya Fatima Abbas-Hassan, a veteran broadcaster and member of the BSWEEP technical team, emphasized the need for the media to continue amplifying issues affecting women and girls. Abbas-Hassan, a former General Manager of NTA News24, asserted that sustained media visibility would help drive necessary actions to address the challenges faced by women and girls.
“As beneficiaries of girl-child education, we feel the need to give back to society. There are children who do not have the opportunity to go to school, either due to lack of finances or because their parents are not interested, especially with the current insecurity. Some parents, due to economic hardship, prefer to send their children to work as house helps to generate income for the family. These young ones are the future of this country. We must invest in their future, help them actualize their full potential, and support them to contribute meaningfully to national development,” she said.
Similarly, Hajiya Fatima Nuhu-Gidado, a gender advocate and member of the BSWEEP technical team, stated that the initiative is working with the wives of traditional leaders to end GBV, eliminate harmful traditional practices, and promote girl-child education.