A Non-governmental Organisation, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy has called for the inclusion of indigenous women of the FCT as community negotiators in the signing of community development agreements.
The Executive Director of the Centre, Miss Faith Nwadishi stated this at a news conference in Abuja organised by the women of Original inhabitants Ambassadors group in collaboration with the Centre for Advocacy (CTA).
Miss Nwadishi said women’s participation in community development projects would protect their socio-economic and cultural rights.
”Need we state here clearly that “Indigenous Peoples especially the women carry a fragile but essential part of our common humanity. As individuals and societies, women represent irreplaceable diversity. Participation in development should not mean absorption into the mainstream – on the contrary, our task is to ensure that the human rights and human potential of Indigenous women receive the needed attention.
That the rights of women be recognized in the negotiations for community development agreements by including them as community negotiators.’‘ Miss Nwadishi noted.
She, therefore, appealed to the FCT administration and the Federal Government to repeal their laws and implement the International Human Rights convention.
”It has become a daunting task in the FCT to repeal policies and practices that diminish opportunities for indigenous women and perpetuate their disempowerment. Demolishing structural barriers to eliminate complex oppressions experienced by indigenous women is the major challenge for indigenous peoples throughout the world without the exclusion of the FCT.”
Some of the indigenous women while highlighting some of the challenges they faced, said adequate priority should be given to welfare and socio-economic development.
They stressed the need for the FCT administration to create empowerment programmes and an enabling environment for their business activities to thrive.
Reporting by Ebere Ukeje; Editing by Tina Oyinsan