UN WOMEN Empowers Over 250 Women, on Biogas Technology, Financial Literacy
By Adamu IMAM, Bauchi
Women in Bauchi state have been tasked to use the advantage of biogas technology and source information that would help them in the fight against poverty in their matrimonial homes and beyond.
The task was handed down to them by United Nations Women (UNWOMEN) during a sensitization of rural women on the need to use alternative methods of home cooking to be empowered and help reduce weste of energy at homes
The training tagged 'Capacity Building and Sensitization for Rural Women in Biogas Technology, Rural Value Chain and Financial Literacy' held recently at the Bauchi State Agriculture Development Project BSADP
The women were selected and gathered during the sensitization awareness training drown from two local councils of the state Bauchi and Dass local area respectively.
The state chairperson of Small Scale Women Farmers Organization of Nigeria Bauchi Branch, the implimenting partners (SWOFON) and coordinating lead re-emphasize the need for women to concentrate and benefit from the biogas Technology program initiated by United Nations Women in Nigeria.
Others experts agreed that using information technology in this century is the best way for sustainable women initiatives that will reduce hardship in many homes and communities as a whole.
While, representative of the Ministry of Women Affairs Bauchi State, Gender desk officer Esther Patrick shortly after the women sensitization awareness meeting assured of Bauchi state collaboration through the ministry of women affairs in making sure that all women have use the advantage of the energy drive, especially for teaming rural women across Bauchi state.
"UN women have been in the state since 2020 and they came in with project women peace and security WPS, resolutions 1325 on how women can be partaker in decision making in her home at LGA and State levels, so they come in again with women face to see they can give hope for the hopeless and less privileged women again would give a little relief for our husbands on buying firewood, gas, and we know the economy and things is very high now"
By teaching them how to use cowdome to produce biogas it will reduce the tension. It will reduce women asking husbands firewood as also their health with smoke in the kitchen so it would help, is cheap, affordable and accessible that is the biogas, she stressed.
"So this program came at the right time when we women needs, by using it buying gas would not be a problem because already we have the natural one at homes"
At the sensitization, Madina Raji commended and appreciated the UN Women for their foresight while stressing the importance of women to be reminded that they are catalysts for social change, and it is imperative for them to take advantage of emerging technologies like biogas to help fight poverty.
Madina Raji a financial literacy expert says the major challenge of women today, is the lack of information.
"I was invited to educate women on financial literacy especially on borrowing, the right of borrowere and the responsibilities of them and know how to apply for loans basically we have them guidelines how to ga about accessing loans and the interest rate, when this loans are checked, the payment of the loans and the relationship with the banks to have a successful ending" She said.
Raji also spoke on the challenges, "the major challenge of women is lack of information they don't even know what the loans entails they called it 'Tallafi' actually is a loans not grant because they are eager, their concern is the raw money, any money that comes with terms and conditions, they collect and go they have to know , so that at the end to avoid enter into trouble, so we educated them on why they need the loans for".
Malam Hadiza one of the participants commended UN women for their effort towards improving living condition of rural women through biogas technology initiatives says the gesture is timely.
Hadazi maintained that, "For instance like me now I used to buy firewood for cooking at least a portion is 280 naira, I will use two to cook firbthe family, and if I decided to use charcoal, I will spend not less than eight hundred naira per day, so this initiative is a welcome development for us"
Stakeholders also continue that, although women in Nigeria make up a significant portion of the population, they sadly remain behind, hence the need for them to be given priority attention at all times.
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EMPOWERMENT