Boost economic independence across local communities
By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
The Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative (FAWOYDI) has officially commenced its grassroots sensitization and mobilization campaign in Bauchi State, marking the flag-off of the Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership (RWVL) Project.
The RWVL Project is a five-year initiative running from 2025 to 2030.
Funded by Global Affairs Canada and led nationally by ActionAid Nigeria, the project is designed to protect the rights of women and girls, advance gender equality, and empower structurally excluded groups by providing multi-year financial and technical support to local Women’s Rights Organizations.
FAWOYDI Program Manager and Project Officer, Mrs. Mother P. Yanga, who spoke on the implementation of the project in the state, disclosed that the organization recently conducted an entry and mobilization visits across eight communities within Alkaleri, Ganjuwa, and Bauchi Local Government Areas (LGAs).
According to Yanga, the advocacy tour successfully established local trust and introduced the project’s strategic objectives, focusing heavily on economic independence and leadership inclusion.
“From the name of the project, Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership, we are targeting women’s empowerment, particularly in the area of their involvement and participation in decision-making and leadership at all levels”.
“Our focus during the sensitization visits was to steer community members toward supporting women in economic and leadership roles.” Yanga said.
Yanga outlined four primary objectives achieved during the initial community engagements which include introducing the project to residents to create grassroots awareness, directly targeting women, seeking community-wide cooperation, and securing vital commitments from local stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation over the next five years.
“The broader mandate of the RWVL project includes equipping vulnerable women, smallholder farmers, and marginalized girls with financial literacy and the confidence to operate sustainable businesses”.
“It also involves training households and female peer groups to elevate female representation in community-level governance, ensuring they have an influential voice in regional development and public resource allocations” She said.
Highlighting the project’s philosophy, Yanga emphasized that leadership extends far beyond seeking elected office.
“This time around, in the second phase of the project, the goal is to empower the woman’s voice, because if your voice can be heard, you are already leading. If your ideas as a woman are bought into, you are already making a difference; you don’t necessarily have to be on a campaign poster. Our target is from the home, to the poster, and to the political seats,” Yanga explained.
She added that while not every woman will occupy a political office, every woman possesses leadership potential.
” FAWOYDI aims to identify and build upon those individual strengths through targeted education and access to information.For women actively aspiring to political positions, the initiative promises to provide necessary backup and encouragement. For women not contesting, the project will focus on robust voter education, encouraging women to actively support and vote for female political aspirants” She said.
