Katsina State Government and UNICEF have validated a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) report to strengthen policies protecting women, children and other vulnerable groups.
A validation meeting organized by the Katsina State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in collaboration with UNICEF Kano Field Office, reviewed findings on the socio-economic deprivation of adolescent girls and boys.
Speaking at the event on Friday in Katsina, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Malik Anas, said the report will provide credible evidence to guide government interventions and promote inclusive development.
Represented by the state’s Statistician-General, Prof. Saifullahi Sani, Anas said the study sought to distinguish gender equality, gender equity and gender inequality, to enable government design appropriate policies.
He said the findings will also identify the causes of inequalities affecting women, children and other vulnerable groups, thereby assisting government and development partners to formulate targeted interventions.
According to him, social inclusion remains critical to sustainable development, as deprivation in education, healthcare, employment and other essential services continues to fuel poverty and insecurity.
“Research has shown that social exclusion is one of the factors driving insecurity because people who are deprived of opportunities are more vulnerable to social and economic challenges,” he said.
He added that the validated report will serve as a planning tool for ministries, departments and agencies in developing policies and programmes, while promoting data-driven decision-making.
Anas stressed that reliable statistics will enable the government to determine the proportion of women, children and other vulnerable groups benefiting from development interventions.
Also speaking, Chairman of the state assembly’s committee on Women Affairs, Ali Abubakar-Albaba, pledged continued legislative support for the protection of women, adolescent boys and girls.
He commended UNICEF and other partners for supporting vulnerable groups, describing the interventions as complementary to government efforts.
Abubakar-Albaba said the state Assembly had sponsored and passed several motions on child rights, child protection, women protection and the fight against domestic violence.
He assured stakeholders that the legislature will continue to provide the required legislation to strengthen policies and programmes to safeguard women and children.
In a presentation, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Fatima Musa, said the organization engaged a consultant to conduct the GESI studies in Katsina, Bauchi and Zamfara states.
She said the validation exercise was designed to review the findings for accuracy, identify gaps, strengthen ownership and ensure the report reflected the realities of women, men and children.
She noted that others reflected included persons with disabilities, youths, older persons and other marginalized groups.
Musa said the study uncovered that Bauchi, Katsina and Zamfara accounted for some of the country’s most severe and gendered forms of adolescent deprivation.
The deprivation she stressed, was particularly in education, health, protection, economic participation and civic engagement.
“The report identified poverty, entrenched gender norms, child marriage, inadequate adolescent-friendly healthcare services and insecurity as major factors limiting opportunities for adolescents in Katsina,” she said.
She, however, acknowledged progress by the Katsina government, through the domestication of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, Child Protection Law, Gender Policy and the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools.
The UNICEF official noted that the report will provide actionable evidence to support government, development partners and civil society organizations in advancing gender equality and social inclusion across the state.
She further noted that the report will be passed on to the committee set up by Gov. Dikko Radda for final validation and adoption.
The meeting attracted government officials, development partners, civil society organizations and other stakeholders who reviewed the report before its final adoption. (NAN).
