The Plateau State government has been urged by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to make laws that will allow women to inherit houses, land, and other property.
Sabiu Shehu, Country Advocacy, Media and Communication Manager of the non-governmental organisation (NGO), during a roundtable, yesterday, in Jos, stressed that the law became necessary to reduce women’s vulnerability in the state.
He said: “Women and girls are the most vulnerable set of people in any society; they are denied access to land, housing and other properties.
“In Plateau, we know the state government has enacted some laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, Gender and Equal Opportunities Law to promote the rights of women, but we are calling on the state government to specifically enact a law that would ensure our women and girls have access to housing, land, properties, and other inheritance,” he said.
Shehu said the meeting was part of its Small Advocacy Fund (SAF) project funded by the Norwegian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
He explained that the meeting would sensitise critical stakeholders towards addressing the challenges experienced by women in the state, particularly in rural communities.
NRC is currently implementing the project in Riyom, Bassa, Shendam, Mangu, Bokkos, and Wase local councils.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender, Mrs. Olivia Daziem, commended NRC for organising the meeting aimed at creating equal opportunities for women.
Daziem, who maintained that existing laws in the state promote equal opportunities for women, however, decried the absence of adequate awareness about the laws.
Source: The Guardian
