EPE WOMEN HELP ASSOCIATION, WRAHP, ACTIONAID, GAC; SEEK DIGITAL TRAINING FOR GRASSROOT WOMEN, EMPOWERS ADDITIONAL WOMEN-LED BUSINESSES IN EPE COMMUNITY
By ADUNNI IGINLA
In commemoration with the March 2023 International Women’s Day tagged DigitALl: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality; This theme which is aligned with the priority theme for the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW-67), “Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls”…..The President (Ms Adenuga Gbemisola Adeshola) of Epe Women-Help Association , a Community based, Non-Profit, Non-Governmental Association established in 2015 and registered in 2017 with Epe Local Government Council which has been empowering women of Epe Community through Trainings and revolving Micro-Credit without interest. The Association, located in Epe, Lagos Nigeria which has successfully trained groups of women in Fish Farming, Snailery, Perfumery and Aromatheraphy, Photography and Photo Editing, Video Coverage and Video Editing, Vegetable Farming, Piggery, Business Management Strategies, Micro-Credit Management e.t.c. spoke extensively on the effect of Technology advancement of women in Epe Community especially at this time of Cashless Policy, said A gender-responsive approach to innovation, technology and digital education can increase the awareness of women and girls regarding their rights and civic engagement. Advancements in digital technology offer immense opportunities to address development and humanitarian challenges, and to achieve the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals. In our community she said unfortunately, the opportunities of the digital revolution also present a risk of perpetuating existing patterns of gender inequality. Growing inequalities are becoming increasingly evident in the context of digital skills and access to technologies, with women being left behind as the result of this digital gender divide. The need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education is therefore crucial for a sustainable future.
During this cash crunch period, Majority of the women at Epe Community who are the income producers/provider of their families, became grounded because of the cashless policy. This has further fueled the desire of the NGO to want to help such individuals in making their lives less challenging, by advising the women to get POS and learn how to use it, make use of Apps on their mobile phones which is capable of making it easier to see alerts instead of waiting for SMS
The Association through the support of WRAHP (Women’s Rights and Health Projects) and WVL (Women Voice and Leadership) and with funds from ACTIONAID and Global Affairs Canada has been able to empower vulnerable women in Epe Community.
From 9th of March 2023 to 17th of March, 2023 the Association, Epe Women-Help Association carried out three different activities which are:
- Awareness Programme for Women who have collected their PVC: ENSURING THAT THEY VOTE
Calls and SMS were sent to our members to remind them of the upcoming elections for Governorship and State House of Assembly to go out and vote.
- Women Led Businesses were given interest free micro-credit to further enhance their businesses; the Micro-Credit is to be rotated between groups of nineteen women. Repayment is done on weekly basis
- Training for 19 Women Led Businesses in Adebisi Axis of Oluwa Community was done on the 17th March, 2023 to enhance and change the way women have been doing businesses to a modern method from start to finish employing the available power of the social media.
So far over 200 women led business have benefitted from our capacity building training for women led businesses while a total of 90 women led businesses have benefitted from our rotational micro-credit.
These women empowerment programme was proudly Supported by Women’s Rights and Health Projects (WRAHP), Women’s Voice And Leadership and funded by ACTIONAIDS AND Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
The Executive Director Ms Adeshola Adenuga is using this opportunity to call on the Government, Philanthropists and well-meaning Nigerians to assist us in making the lives of the women of EPE a self-sustainable one. We are looking forward to your assistance to get another office space close to Ayetoro Market and a space that can be used as a Vocational Centre where we can train and retrain our women free of charge.
Epe Women Help Association can be reached on: 07080450708.
We appreciate ACTIONAIDS and Global Affairs Canada for funding our projects thus far.
No Woman…..No Nation
