International Day of Rural Women: Princess Royal Frontiers Leads Campaign for Women Empowerment on Agriculture

In commemoration of the International Day of Rural Women, Princess Royal Frontiers has organised an Agricultural empowerment training for girls and women in the Ogun-Waterside LG area of Ogun state.

The International Day of Rural Women is commemorated globally on the 15th of October, with the theme, “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All”, which highlights the essential role that rural women and girls play in the food systems of the world. 

While announcing preparation plans towards the training for girls and women, the founder of Princess Royal Frontiers, Princess Abioye Phillips said the training was part of the organisation’s efforts to help women assume their rightful positions in the scheme of things.

She said, “Beneficiaries of the agricultural training will be trained on the cultivation of Bell Pepper. Land for cultivation of Bell Pepper after the training will also be allocated to enable them plant, harvest and sell to a ready market for a worthy price.

"Through the agricultural training, we want to encourage more women to take up careers in agriculture which is in line with the theme of this year's International Day of Rural Women.

“Women and girls can play a crucial role in transforming our agri-food systems. We know from our work that when women and girls have better access to information, skill acquisition, resources and economic opportunities, and are free to make their own decisions, hunger rates fall and nutrition improves not only for themselves but also their families and communities.

The effort, according to her is to, "bridge the gender divide in the agricultural sector in Nigeria and to empower women to be self-reliant and employable where necessary.

Princess Philips also added that the free agricultural training programme which is supported by the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of  Trade Industries and Investmemt will target young and mid-aged women who are interested in acquiring agricultural knowledge and skills that can make them become financially independent and solve food cultivation problems in their localities of the different communities in Ogun-Waterside.

The training, according to her, will focus its attention on the vital role that skilled women in agriculture need to play in creating an environment that reduces poverty, enhance productivity, and improves food security and nutrition. It will break the constraints that prevent them from fully developing their potentials or hinders their efforts of improving their lives as well as their households and communities

She added that, “We all need to work together to spark the necessary changes to empower women and girls, particularly those in rural areas so that we can build back better food systems where there is equal access to nutritious food and decent livelihoods.

“I’m delighted to note that within the duration of the training, the beneficiaries would have acquired the relevant skills and knowledge they need to start a career in the agricultural space”, she concluded.