Group Tasks Govts, Firms On Human, Business Rights

Nigeria Government, business companies, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and  communities have been charged to work towards the tenets of human and business rights as stipulated in the United Nations Guiding Principles of 2011. 
Speaking during a two-day training programme organised by Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre in collaboration with Oxfam, one of the resource persons, Programme Lead: Even It Up Campaign Oxfam International in Nigeria, Mr Henry Ushie, called for open civil space to give room for citizens’ contributions in the country, so as to make economy more physically responsible and beneficial to all.
Ushie stated that Oxfam was committed to works that would make women more active in decisions that concern them, particularly with oil and gas facility, adding that over time Oxfam realised that women were not involved, as such not active in decision making.
“At the training programme today, we have a ratio of 60:40 women to men, this is deliberately done to see how we can bring women up to stage.
“As we know, vulnerability has the face of a woman and so we want to see how we can build women’s capacity and their confidence and provide the enabling environment and platform for them to be able to engage stakeholders within the oil and gas sector, have their voices heard and demand for accountability.
“So that women are included in decisions that concern them directly at their own level and ensure that there was adequate inclusiveness in the kind of projects and services that women need at various levels,” Ushie added

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana.