By Abba Dukawa
The Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), with support from the African Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) and Global Affairs Canada, has launched an initiative to mainstream gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response across agricultural value chains.
The 12-month project, titled “Mainstreaming Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Response into the Agricultural Value Chain in Kano State,” was launched on Tuesday at a high-level inception meeting held at the Murtala Muhammad Library, Kano.
The meeting brought together government officials, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, women leaders, agricultural stakeholders, development partners, community representatives and members of the media.
The initiative seeks to address the often-overlooked link between women’s economic participation and their exposure to gender-based violence, particularly within the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and People with Special Needs, Hajiya Amina Abdullahi Sani, said Kano State had received an award of excellence for adopting the Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy, which she said was championed by the dRPC.
She said the ministry recognised only a few organisations as being particularly active in the fight against GBV and in supporting women’s economic empowerment, including the dRPC and AECF.
The commissioner also disclosed that the domesticated Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law was awaiting passage by the Kano State House of Assembly before it could be signed into law.
She commended stakeholders for their continued efforts to promote the protection and economic empowerment of women and girls in the state.
Women constitute a significant proportion of the agricultural workforce and contribute substantially to food production, processing and marketing.
However, they continue to face barriers such as discrimination, harassment, harmful social norms and other forms of violence, which affect their productivity, wellbeing and economic advancement.
Stakeholders at the meeting said GBV was not only a violation of human rights but also a major impediment to agricultural productivity, economic growth and sustainable development.
They stressed that efforts to strengthen agricultural value chains must be accompanied by interventions that promote women’s safety, dignity and access to economic opportunities.
A major highlight of the meeting was stakeholders’ commitment to supporting the identification and training of community leaders and gender champions who will serve as advocates for behavioural change and agents of social transformation in their communities.
Through these structures, the project aims to promote safer environments where women can participate fully in agricultural and economic activities without fear of violence, discrimination or exclusion.
Participants commended the initiative for recognising the critical link between gender equality and agricultural development.
They said meaningful economic empowerment for women could not be achieved without addressing the social and structural factors that expose them to violence and limit their participation in decision-making.
The project will work closely with communities to strengthen local capacities for GBV prevention and response. Key interventions will include training and engagement of community leaders and gender champions, community sensitisation campaigns, promotion of positive social norms, strengthening of referral pathways for survivors, and fostering community ownership of efforts to prevent violence against women and girls.
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