The Minister of Women Affairs, Bar. Uju Kennedy has offered a national medal of recognition to the development Research and Projects Centre, dRPC, for its exceptional contribution to the development of women in the country.
Presenting the award at a ceremony in Calabar, Cross River State, the minister said the recognition signifies the dRPC’s commitment to advancing gender equality, especially the launching of the Women’s Economic Empowerment policy and other support for Women’s Affairs ministry.
The minister added that the tireless efforts of the dRPC-PAWED project have significantly impacted women’s economic empowerment in Nigeria.
According to her, through the Centre’s collaborative work with the Federal Ministry of Women’s Affairs, they have contributed to the successful development and launching of the Women’s Economic Empowerment policy.
Mrs Kennedy said: “The recognition bestowed upon the dRPC-PAWED by the National Council on Women’s Affairs is a testament to their exceptional dedication and impact.
“It highlights the pivotal role of civil society organizations in driving positive change and transforming women’s lives in Nigeria.
“This recognition will undoubtedly inspire other organizations and stakeholders to support women’s economic empowerment initiatives nationwide,” the minister added.
In his acceptance speech shortly after the award in Calabar, the dRPC’s Director of Projects, Dr Stanley Ukpai, who represented the Executive Director, Dr Judith-Ann Walker, at the event, said women’s empowerment has become a crucial agenda in Nigeria’s development landscape.
Mr Ukpai added that recognizing the potential and talent of Nigerian women entrepreneurs, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, alongside its partners, initiated the Women’s Economic Empowerment policy to provide a comprehensive framework for their economic advancement.
This policy, according to him, aims to address the er disparities, promote gender-inclusive economic growth, and foster an enabling environment for women-owned businesses to thrive.
“Amidst the formulation and implementation of the Women’s Economic Empowerment policy, the dRPC and PAWED WECs played a pivotal role in supporting the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
“This demonstrated its commitment to gender equality and women’s rights by actively engaging in advocacy to raise awareness about the importance of women’s economic empowerment among policymakers, civil society, and focus groups.
“To strengthen the evidence base for policy formulation, PAWED provided its research on various aspects of women’s economic empowerment, analysing the barriers women face in accessing credit, markets, and entrepreneurship opportunities and providing valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders,” he added.
Mr Ukpai, therefore, disclosed that dPRC’s research in the areas of women’s economic empowerment has continued to contribute to the design of targeted recommendations to address the challenges facing women in Nigeria.
He said: “Recognizing the significance of skill development in enhancing women’s economic participation, then PAWED initiated advocacy and communications capacity-building programs and training workshops.
“These programs equipped women entrepreneurs with leadership skills and access to mentoring and networking opportunities,” he added.
While commending the minister for the award, Mr Ukpai assured that the dRPC would continue to support the WEE and gender space in Nigeria to ensure that potential of the women is harnessed for national growth and development.
