UN, Zamani Foundation to empower 500,000 women

The United Nations (UN) Women in partnership with Zamani Foundation, Master Card and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have launched a ‘One woman, one ID card’ project, which is aimed at increasing the level of financial inclusion among women in the country.  At the launch of the pilot project in Kaduna, the UN Women […]

The United Nations (UN) Women in partnership with Zamani Foundation, Master Card and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have launched a ‘One woman, one ID card’ project, which is aimed at increasing the level of financial inclusion among women in the country. 

At the launch of the pilot project in Kaduna, the UN Women Representative, Ms Adjaratou Ndiaye, described the campaign as a critical phase to help women who sometimes were among the most vulnerable when it came to enjoying their rights.

According to her, the possession of a national ID card is a fundamental stage for women’s participation in political governance, access to financial resources, their protection as full citizens of a nation and a sub-region to guarantee their well-being and safe mobility. 

The strategy, according to her, directly addresses four initiatives: development of diverse financial products, enhancement of payment processes, development of credit system and encouraging savings culture mentality.

She further explained that a targeted number of registered women would benefit from the training to strengthen their capacity in entrepreneurship and basic financial management to ensure effective use of the financial application inserted in the card as well as the longevity and competitiveness of their enterprises. 

The increasing level of financial inclusion in Nigeria, she noted, is expected to empower 70 percent of those living under the poverty line, majority of whom are women facing added gendered challenges of lower representation in decision making positions, informal employment and lower incomes, lower education levels and limited access to information and constraints on mobility.

The International Coordinator of Zamani Foundation, Amina Zamani, said the scheme was targeted at empowering 5,000 women in the Kaduna State to reduce the poverty level among women.