By Martha Agas, NAN
Mrs Jessica Vonkat, Coordinator of Country Women Association in Nigeria (COWAN), Plateau branch has appealed to Gov. Simon Lalong to facilitate implementation of the Gender Equal Opportunity Law (GEOL).
Vonkat made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Jos.
NAN reports that Plateau is the first state in northern Nigeria to gazette the GEOL in 2018 which was passed in 2015.
The law protects women from all forms of discrimination in politics, economy, traditions and social issues amongst others.
The COWAN official said the establishment of a Gender Commission was a requirement for the implementation of the law, as it would coordinate matters on gender issues.
“We are supposed to have a commission to implement it, without that commission the implementation would not be easy, so we are pleading with the government to see to it,” she said.
Vonkat said she was happy that the law addressed issues of land inheritance for women, saying the implementation would ensure access to more farmlands for women.
“Where I am happy about the law is where it says that all customs and traditions that discriminate against women are null and void.
“This means that women can now inherit land from their parents’ home.
“This is what we have been advocating for many years, increasing farmlands to women and if possible inheritance and, this bill have just answered that.
“Farmland is an issue, for the past years we have been going to communities to advocate increased farmlands for women.
”This is because the food consumed in Nigeria and sold in markets are from the rural women,” she said.
Vonkat also called on the state government to ensure that agricultural interventions reached rural women, as major producers of food.
“The big farmers do not sell in the open market but to big companies and big people, they export it to other countries like Niger, Chad and so on.
“The rural woman who farms a quarter of a hectare, it is her food that is in the market, and that is why it is currently expensive.
“We are pleading with the state governor to help us. Let us put this bill into action to increase our production in the farm,” she said.
NAN