Thursday, April 24, 2008

Young Women's Learning Partnership

Young Women's Learning Partnership (YWLP)

BAOBAB for women’s human rights is a non profit, non governmental organisation that is committed to the promotion and protection of women’s human rights under the three system of law in Nigeria, namely customary, statutory and religious laws. BAOBAB strategy of capacity building has impacted considerably on feminist movement within Nigeria and across the continent of Africa in particular. The organisation’s series of innovative strategies has effectively produce a critical mass of gender aware citizens who are involved at various levels of intervention aimed at promotion and protection, improving knowledge, exercise and development of women’s human rights across the country. Her leadership training programme, gender and human right training, paralegal training has helped to further the appreciation and observance of women’s human rights by women and men in all strata of the society. Considering the unabated violations of women’s human rights and the difficulty in achieving desired change at policy level, BAOBAB opined that a gender aware society with the youth at the centre of the movement for change is the best option for sustainable development with women participating actively in the development process.

As a mentoring organisation with a forward looking agenda, BAOBAB has decided to mobilize young women from a feminist perspective into the women’s movement. This is a succession plan meant to enhance the leadership potentials of young women and also building the generational gaps existing in the women’s movement in Nigeria. The programme is also an avenue to deconstruct some stereotypes that has been limiting women from active participation in the decision making process. Women’s movement started very late in the country and the array of socio-economic malaise confronting the citizens is a serious threat to feminism unless urgent concrete step is taking to mobilise the young women into the women’s movement from a gender perspective.


OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of the programme is to develop and enhance the leadership potentials of the young women in order for them to aspire and occupy leadership and decision making positions in Nigeria.


· To further the awareness of beneficiaries on issues of Globalisation, Millennium Development Goals and leadership from a feminist perspective
· To develop and enhance the leadership potentials of the young women
· To mobilise and mentor the young women into the feminist movement.
· To foster the coalition of women’s human right activists through information sharing and group monitoring.
· Establishment of information source as a means of monitoring and mentoring the young women


STRUCTURE
The programme shall be a 4-day training comprising of focus group discussions, interactive workshop sessions on globalisation, millennium development goals and leadership, leadership challenges and opportunities, presentations on strategies for creating and sustaining women’s activism and information sharing
PARTICIPANTS:
The young women leadership training programme will convene thirty (30) young educated women from different backgrounds within the six geo-political zones in Nigeria.

RESOURCE PERSONS:
Facilitation will be provided by BAOBAB staff.
WORKING DOCUMENTS:
In addition to the background documents, BAOBAB will produce a training pamphlet outlining the thematic areas of the young women leadership training from a gender perspective.

Indecent Dressing in Nigeria

What do you think about the proposed Bill on the floor of the National Assembly titled: An Act to Prohibit and Punish Public Nudity, Sexual Intimidation and Related Offences by Senator Eme Ekaette, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women and Youth.The bill has generated much uproar in the land with more dissenting voices from the masses.

Please give us your opinion on indecent dressing......