BY UZAIRU DAUDA BUNGA:
The United Nations Children’s Education Fund Unicef has described Investment in Women as an avenue for accelerating progress in every nation.
The Chief UNICEF Bauchi Field Office , Dr Tushar Rane, made the remark ahead of the celebration commemorating the International Women’s Day aimed at honouring women achievements towards promoting women’s rights worldwide, held at the Evolution Hotel Gombe state.
Dr Tushar said Ensuring gender equality and promoting women’s well-being in all facets of life is paramount for building prosperous economies and fostering healthy planet.
The Chief UNICEF Bauchi Field Office affirmed that the International Women’s Day serves as a powerful reminder of the progress made in that direction and the way forward.
He said the International Women’s Day is a day set aside to honour outstanding women who have paved the way for future generations, and to recognize their resounding contributions in aspect of human endeavour.
Dr Tushar said the essence of gathering Journalists was to enable them get acquainted with the remarkable achievements of community-based women in the health sector operating under UNICEF Bauchi field office , involving– Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba states through the mama2mama initiative where the Women serve as health advocates and educators within their communities.
Dr Rane applauded the Mama2mama groups for raising awareness on health related issues and encouraging community members to seek healthcare services as and when required
He emphasized that women can effectively participate in community health initiatives, when endowed with the right knowledge, to include vaccination campaigns where their involvement fosters community cohesion and improves effectiveness of health interventions.
The Chief UNICEF field Officer said investment in women through the mama2mama initiative, including strengthening women’s knowledge of community health systems has contributed to positive health outcomes across the participating states.
He lamented that Adolescent girls’ rights worldwide are under threat, with progress on key issues either stagnating or regressing on a global scale.
Dr Rane also revealed that statistically one in seven girls in developing countries is married off before reaching the age of 15 which results to continued risks of sexual violence among adolescent girls, pointing out that nearly half of adolescent girls involved in UNICEF programmes , suffer from anemia and lack of access to essential health and nutritional services in the.
He therefore called for concerted efforts towards empowering girls to play crucial role in tackling some of the most pressing global challenges, such as climate change, poverty, and conflict which paves way for inclusive and sustainable development.
