The Kaduna State Government on Wednesday announced plans to introduce Gender and Social Inclusion policy to protect women and girls in the state.

The Commissioner for Women and Gender Development, Hajiya Rabi Abdulsalam, disclosed this during a one-day gender stakeholders' meeting in Kaduna.

Abdulsalam said Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i's administration had concluded plans to introduce a Gender Policy to protect the rights of women in the state.

She added that the state government would ensure that women and girls were protected through social inclusion at all levels of governance.

The commissioner noted that women in state needed deliberate policies and laws that would protect and guard them against gender violence and other social issues.

She said Gov. El-Rufa’i was doing all he could to ensure that women occupied their rightful place in the scheme of things in the state.

She then urged women in the state to strive hard to attain success in life as mothers, as well as contribute meaningfully to the development of the state and the country at large.

On her part, Mrs. Ngukwase Surma, a Gender and Social Inclusion specialist, said social inclusion policies would assist women to identify and address issues that affected their development.

Surma, the Executive Director of an NGO, Connecting Gender for Development, said her organisation would collaborate with the Ministry of Women and Gender Development in the state to begin gender development and social inclusion programmes.

According to her, a situational analysis will be presented to government on the actual needs of women in the state for implementation.

She said the policy would particularly address the issues of poverty for faster growth and development of women in the state.

Surma said the social inclusion policy would address the issue of elderly persons, as well as child labour.

“It will also address the issue of people living with disabilities and violence against women.” (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov. El-Rufai.

Update news