By Umar Akilu Majeri, Dutse
–
Jigawa state women association has formed and established its first
council of women affairs with a view to assist women groups in the state
in the area of health sector and education.
This was disclosed by director of women affairs Hajia Halima Isyaku during a two days’ workshop organised by women affairs held at the state manpower development
centre in Dutse.
She assured gender representation in all sphere of human development
adding that in the area of maternal health the rate of maternal
mortality and improvement of maternal health through increasing
access strategy has been increased.
The director further stated that the state government has provided
intervention to 353 communities with the establishment of 31 members
emergency maternal care team in each of 353 communities across the
state.
They formed blood donor groups and emergency saving funds in all the communities of intervention in the state – 71 vehicles for emergency centres
were provided to communities with a view to assist women groups in the
state.
The women affairs had also sensitized drivers in all the motor park
working in the state where 44 motor benefited from the gesture across
the Jigawa state with the training of 4 members emergency transport
scheme drivers in each of 353 communities in the state
The director stated further that 20 motorcycles were
purchased and distributed to NURTW motherhood initiative demand and
supervision of safe motherhood initiative – demand side SMI-D which
they called Haihuwa lafiya.
The ministry has established awareness committee on danger sign and
ante natal care in the state on mobilizing and advocate to various
stake holders for free maternal care to all women in the state sources
closed to the ministry confirmed that the state established it with
the demand creation especially on reducing maternal mortality rate by
using significant and refined process to engage communities in
identifying problems that directly affect the living standard of women
in the state.
According to the paper she read in her speech, the director said the
SMI-D is in the state to contribute in reducing the maternal mortality
rate in jigawa state while its purpose is to increase access of women
in the state to emergency obstetric care and also to increase general
awareness to women in the state
According to her the Jigawa state government has disbursed a grant
worth over N66million naira as soft lone to 313 women groups across
the state from 2007 to date with aimed of associating the rural women
to be free from poverty level to became self-reliant in their
respective areas.
The skill acquisition centres were upgraded to accommodate varieties of
trades similarly various skills like detergent, pomade, tailoring, tie
and dye ,bed work, were established in all the women centres in the
state across the 27 local government areas.
She added that working materials worth over N65million were purchased and
distributed to women development centres across the state in which
Auyo, kiyawa, Garki, Gumel, kaugama, yankwashi, were among the beneficiaries.
