Adedayo Akinwale in Nigeria
As the economic recession continues to take its toll on Nigerians, the Senate on Thursday called for support and input from stakeholders on possible legislative actions to better the lives of Nigerians.
Senator representing Lagos Central Conatituency, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, made the call in Abuja at a policy dialogue to examine existing agricultural policies as they relate to women farmers.
She hoped such scrutiny would promote the linkage between Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and gender-inclusive agricultural sector.
The policy dialogue was organised by the Women Advocates’ Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with the theme; “Roadmap to An Inclusive Policy Option For Female Smallholder Farmers In Nigeria Agricultural Sector.”
According to her, “Overall, women’s access to land is restricted owing to the fact that our society is patriarchal and in certain cases prohibits women from owning landed property. This has a direct effect on poverty rates.
“We cannot talk about empowering our citizens to undertake agricultural work without stressing the role that women play in food production and processing.”
Mrs.Tinubu emphasised that a vast number of Nigerian farmers especially in the rural areas are women, whose productivity is often restricted due to cultural norm and values.
