Minister of Women Affairs, in person of, Dame Pauline Kedem Tallen, has called for support for girls to enrol, stay in school and complete their education. The minister described the education of the girl-child as a top priority for her ministry.
She spoke last Friday when she received a team from the National Institute for policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), and the development Research and Projects Center (dRPC), a local non-profit organisation which have been conducting joint researches on gender-based violence, women economic empowerment and other areas.
Mrs. Tallen urged both organisations to contribute to ensuring that the “girl-child in every community enrols in school, attends school without missing days and most especially completes school,” saying she was convinced that educating the girl-child was also address problems facing Nigerian women.
The minister underscored the importance of economic empowerment for women as a means of addressing 50 per cent of the country’s economic problem. She said when women are empowered the family and society are also empowered.
Mrs. Tallen praised dRPC and NIPSS for their work in documenting the experiences and challenges of Nigerian women and girls.
Prof. Dung Pam-Sha, who led the NIPSS delegation, introduced the policy analysis work of the National Institute as the apex Think Tank of the Federal Government and explained the institute’s long collaboration with the dRPC since 2003 in the areas of social policy review related to women and girls.
dRPC’s Coordinator Dr. Judith-Ann Walker also shared research reports of recent dRPC’s studies with the Minister.