[August 23, 2011] FG to Introduce Labour-Saving Technologies for Women Tweet Abuja, Aug 23, 2011 (Daily Champion/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- IN a practical effort to boost women agricultural productions, limit the time they wasted on the farms and in processing farm produce, as well as reduce the number of school-age girls engaged on farms and in food processing activities, Federal Government says it will soon introduce labour-saving technologies for women farmers in the country. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina stated this when he received the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina who was on an Advocacy Visit to his Ministry. The Agriculture Minister observed that in Africa, and especially in Nigeria, women represent over 70% of the farming population in the country, producing more than 80% farm produce, mostly at subsistence level and using traditional and time-wasting implements. According to him, "as a result of this, women in agriculture are faced with triple challenges that include Socialization Process, lack of access to modern Labour Saving Technology, and Agricultural Extension Services. "If we are to key into Mr. President's Transformation Agenda, then we must provide the conducive environment for our primary producers to boost their productivity. We will very soon introduce labor-saving technologies in agricultural productions that are women-friendly. In addition, we will not only revitalize our Agricultural Extension System, but also ensure that it has a gender perspective and balance," he stated. While stating the need for women to be empowered with market information to enable them realize maximum benefits from what the produce, the Minister of Agriculture enjoined his colleagues to provide a list of recognized women cooperative farmers so that his Ministry would assist them in accessing financing facilities and other extension services. While commending Hajiya Maina for the advocacy visit, Adesina pledged to conduct a gender audit in his Ministry with a view to mainstreaming gender into the programmes and operations of the Ministry. Earlier, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Maina noted that majority of Nigerian women live in rural areas and their livelihood depends largely on agriculture. "I am also reliably informed that in terms of agricultural practice and farming activities in Nigeria, about 70 percent of the Nigerian female population provides the nation's agricultural labour", Maina stated. Apart from the challenges of lack of access to portable water, the Minister also noted that these rural dwellers do not have access to financing and modern technology. These challenges she said where common to the responsibilities of both Ministries, stressing the need to collaborate in order to realize President Goodluck Jonathan's Transformation Agenda and help strengthen women to be more productive, less dependent, and highly motivated. Hajiya Maina informed her colleague that the Ministry of Women Affairs currently has over 1000 registered women Cooperative Societies and women-based NGOs focused on women and gender mainstreaming, in addition to records of women entrepreneurs, farmers, and traders whose activities she said, are greatly limited due to lack of resources and support. According to Maina, "Nigerian women certainly deserve a better deal in the Nigeria project. Being the ones at the helm of affairs at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, we have a duty to support them and empower them. "Remember that it is not only men that deserve tractors, implements, seedlings, and micro-credit facilities; women also do", she added. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]