Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, says no fewer than 3,339 grassroots women have benefitted from the ministry’s micro credit schemes to empower women and reduce poverty across the nation.
Tallen made this revelation during a courtesy visit by the management and staff of the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) in Abuja.
According to her, the micro-credit scheme tagged, Women Fund for Economic Empowerment (WOFEE) is part of the ministry’s projects for women and is being implemented in partnership with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA).
“It is a funding window for grassroots women that are into micro or small businesses so as to gain access to supportive inputs without passing through rigorous process of conventional financial institutions,” she said.
She also revealed that the Business and Development Fund for Women (BUDFOW) scheme would boost the financial bases of women entrepreneurs with the potential to transmit from micro, small medium or large scale operation.
“The scheme is currently implemented in partnership with Bank of Industry (BOI) and the loan procedure are meant to bridge gender gaps in credit finance sectors by reducing rigorous conventional banking procedures for accessing loans,” she said.
The minister said through its Economic Services Department, the ministry supplied food processing machines and equipment to assist women in agriculture to reduce post-harvest losses and ensure preservation to achieve food security.
Tallen, therefore, reiterated the ministry’s commitment toward promoting gender and children issues, initiating policy guidelines and lead the process of gender mainstreaming at all levels.
While, assuring the agency of their supports in carrying out their mandates, the minister called for interventions to promote girl-child education, provide menstrual sanitary pads for less privileged girls and support women empowerment.
