Non-Governmental Organization teams up with NAWOJ to intensify advocacy efforts for women and young adults.
Plan International, an independent development and humanitarian organisation founded over 85 years ago, has entered into a partnership with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) to drive stronger advocacy for women and youths in Bauchi and Sokoto States.
The partnership, sealed through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in Abuja, is under the umbrella of Plan International Nigeria's Adolescent Girls and Young Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (ASPIRE) project. The ASPIRE project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, aims to impact 20 million girls in five years.
The ASPIRE project works to dismantle barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls and young women. By doing so, it also seeks to advance gender equality and inclusive participation in decision-making, creating an enabling environment for local organisations to thrive.
Dr. Helen Idiong, the Director of Programme Quality and Influencing at Plan International, stated that the project believes that removing issues such as poverty, discrimination, and patriarchal barriers will lead to improved lives for girls.
Under this collaborative framework, NAWOJ will implement capacity-building initiatives to empower local women's rights and youth-led organisations. The organisation's work will be told by women themselves, emphasising that they are best equipped to tell their own stories.
NAWOJ, which actively engages in advocacy on societal and humanitarian issues, particularly focusing on orphans and vulnerable children, welcomed the initiative. The National President of NAWOJ, Aisha Ibrahim, appreciated Plan International for the partnership, stating that it was a declaration of a united vision to create a world where children and girls can thrive.
This partnership aims to ensure that the priorities of women and youths shape public discourse and advance their rights in policy and practice. Through the collaboration, the visibility and capacity building for women's rights and youth-led organisations in the two states will be strengthened.
Ibrahim, in her statement, expressed optimism about the partnership, saying, "This partnership is a significant step towards achieving our collective goal of empowering girls and women in Bauchi and Sokoto States."
The ASPIRE project, with its ambitious goal of impacting 20 million girls in five years, is poised to make a significant difference in the lives of many young women and girls across Nigeria.
