Women In Gizaki Community Are Bolder Than Before

Elisha Joshua, 56 from Gizaki community also in Bogoro LGA agrees with Magudu on how his community have been empowered with the basic amenities such as water, health care facilities, inclusion and participation of women in community activities: “Gizaki is a community that lacked basic amenities but ActionAid and Fahimta came to our aid about 10 years ago, ActionAid through Fahimta built a good health facility in this community, empowered our women through grants, grinding machine and water pump machine for dry season farming” Joshua said, noting specially that the women in Gizaki community are bolder than before, they contribute to their families and the community” he noted.

Women can now communicate in English contrary to what was obtained in the past.

Deborah Yakubu, 42 never imagined she could be respected and recognized among men in her community. Gobbiya community rarely included women in community development, it was an all-male affair, the women were to only execute the decision of the male dominated community council.

It is no longer so today. Deborah is now a member of the community development committee and a peer educator. The journey began when ActionAid and Fahimta launched the LRP in the community.

“ActionAid through Fahimta invited me for a workshop on human rights where I was trained and when I came back, I taught the women in my community issues that pertain to human rights, Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Advocacy” Immediately after the training, Deborah decided to put words to action: “We started engaging the local government authorities through advocacy visits. I mobilised some women in the community, we visited the local government education authority to request for teachers to be posted to our community adult education centre, we now have teachers as a result of that advocacy visit.”

Deborah set up/started an adult education centre with support from ActionAid. The centre trains women who had not been to school and young women who dropped out of school due to early pregnancy or lack of sponsorship.

“One girl in this community dropped out of school some time ago when she got pregnant, we had to visit the parents to appeal to them and convinced them to allow her continue her studies, after weaning the child, they accepted. Today the girl is in the university” Deborah said.

Women in the community have been emboldened to speak up against injustice and gender-based discrimination. The self-confidence and esteem have also significantly improved: “As a result of the adult

education centre, women can now express themselves well and go out for advocacy visit to various organisations and governments' relevant agencies as well as political office holders”.

“I volunteer to teach women in my community, I have two groups I teach to write and read in English and Hausa language. When we started; almost all the women were not able to read and write in English and Hausa language but now with the capacity I have developed, I have been able to teach the women how to read and write in English and Hausa language, as a fact some of the women can now communicate in English contrary to what was obtained in the past prior to the LRP”.

“Women are also taught about personal hygiene, self-esteem how to communicate and engage in advocacy. I am very grateful to ActionAid through Fahimta for building my capacity which helps me to step down this training to the women in my community” Deborah further stressed.