The domestication and implementation of the Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy in Kano state is set to contribute 30% to the state’s economic growth while lifting over two million women out of poverty.
This was revealed by the Executive Director of dRPC, Dr. Judith Ann Walker, during a two-day validation workshop held in Kaduna.
Represented by Hassan Aliyu Karofi, Director of Partnership and Communications at the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), Walker described the WEE policy as a transformative initiative capable of driving sustainable development and reducing gender inequalities in Kano state.
She emphasised the policy’s potential to strengthen the economic contributions of women and foster long-term growth.
The workshop, organised by the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with dRPC and supported by the Ford Foundation, Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, and WEE Catalyst Fund Partners, focused on finalising the framework for the policy’s domestication.
The Kano state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisah Lawal Saji, represented by Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Muntaka Iliyasu Yakasai, reiterated the state’s commitment to empowering women.
She said the WEE policy was a vision to enable every woman in Kano to achieve her dreams, improve family welfare, and contribute to the state’s economic growth.
The Executive Director of the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, a WEE Catalyst Fund Partner, Hajiya Amina Hanga, urged the government to ensure the effective implementation of the policy once domesticated.
She pledged her organisation’s continued support, stressing the need for partnerships to advance women’s economic inclusion.
Blueprint reports that the WEE policy is expected to address barriers to women’s empowerment by creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs, workers, and caregivers in Kano state.
