Women’s Voice and Leadership Project

Problem Statement
Women and girls in Kebbi State face significant barriers to empowerment due to political exclusion, economic marginalization, limited education access, and rising gender-based violence.
Political Exclusion:
Women remain underrepresented in governance, holding only 4 out of 35 cabinet positions in 2023.
Economic Marginalization:
Despite contributing over 70% to agriculture and trade, women have limited access to financial resources, with only 22% benefiting from agricultural finance programs.
Education Barriers:
Female literacy stands at just 28%, with poor ICT infrastructure limiting digital learning opportunities.
Gender-Based Violence:
SGBV cases have risen by 27%, while weak law enforcement and high maternal mortality (1,025 deaths per 100,000 births) highlight inadequate healthcare access.
Weak Organizational Support:
Women-led groups struggle with funding and coordination, reducing their advocacy impact.

NANA’s Approach for Women and Girls in Kebbi State

  1. Enhancing Institutional and Societal Response to Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG):

    • Strengthen legal and community-based protection mechanisms.
    • Conduct awareness campaigns and community dialogues on VAWG.

  2. Increasing Women’s Access and Control over Economic Resources:

    • Support women-led businesses, cooperatives, and financial inclusion initiatives.
    • Integrate FINTECH and digital financial services into Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).

  3. Promoting Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Access to Services:

    • Conduct sensitization programs on family planning and maternal healthcare.
    • Strengthen healthcare systems to improve women’s access to quality reproductive health services.

Our Key Activities

  • Reducing Maternal Mortality

    • Established 12 CBOs in 5 LGAs to promote women’s rights and maternal health.
    • Engaged communities for project sustainability.
    • Trained CBOs on gender equality and project management.

  • Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

    • Conducted school sensitization on GBV prevention and reporting.
    • Advocated for increased awareness in female schools.
    • Developed safeguarding strategies with school stakeholders.

  • Strengthening Women-Led CBOs

    • Mapped and trained women-led CBOs in Kebbi State.
    • Provided capacity-building and mentorship.
    • Monitored implementation of CBO-led initiatives.

  • Improving Girls’ Academic Performance Through E-Learning

    • Developed an e-learning curriculum for senior secondary girls.
    • Translated seven subjects into Hausa for accessibility.
    • Provided digital learning support and resources.

Our Major Achievements:

1. Reducing Maternal Mortality

  • Implemented 12 community bylaws, benefiting 72+ women and strengthening health partnerships in 5 LGAs and increased hospital deliveries from 10-15 to 20-47 per day.

2. Combating GBV

SRGBV Implementation:

  • Established GBV clubs in schools with dedicated spaces and regular meetings.

WVL CBOs Coalition:

  • Strengthened CBOs through mentoring, training, and grants. And establishment of community paralegals and translated key legal texts with successful advocated for the VAPP Act and Penal Code revisions.

3. Strengthening Women-Led CBOs

  • Improved and enhanced operational standards and sustainability, organizational capacity, policies, and grant applications.

  • Formed 32 Savings & Loans Associations and 38 paralegal teams.

4. Institutional & Media Strengthening

  • NANA improved capacity through ActionAid mentorship with increased media presence, securing international partnerships.

5. Programmatic Impact

  • Reduced school violence and improved student safety and confidence.

  • Enhanced advocacy and awareness among students.

6. Policy Influence

  • Contributed to the adoption of the VAPP Act and Child Protection Policy with Strengthened Penal Code reforms for GBV legal protection.