Source: Vanguard
AS the nation's agricultural sector continues to impact on the lives of Nigerians, Oxfam and other stakeholders, recently, advocated for women's right to agricultural resources and celebrate women farmers as well.

This position was maintained at a one day workshop organised by Oxfam in Abuja, with the theme, 'The Power of People against Poverty', where other speakers from different civil societies in the agricultural sector also decried the situation most small scale women farmers find themselves.

Speaking on the relegated position of women farmers in the country, Gender Officer, Oxfam, Nigeria, Boyowa Roberts, stated that it was high time for women in farming express themselves about government policies and other challenges they face in the sector.

Roberts said women should be considered in many areas by policy makers, which Oxfam was put everything in place to ensure that women were carried along in the sector, and also will give award to deserving women farmers, which will inspire and motivate younger women to fully engage in agriculture.

Roberts said: "We want women farmers to be well celebrated, and for them to come out and speak for themselves on the change they desire, where they will express themselves to policy makers in the agricultural sector, including the media, which will enable them to have the spaces and the expected change, and access resources like fertilisers, seedlings, and others.

"Women have not been captured enough in the transformation agenda in the agricultural sector, because they do not have a specific women programme they want to bring on board, instead you hear them say women are part of the society and whatever we bring up they can participate and be part of it. There have not been a time you hear them say women should take the lead, and tell us what they want or how can we make our policies gender friendly.

"Our award is to celebrate the Nigerian small-scale women farmers, and will be launched October 15th on the International Rural Women's Day in Abuja. It is to inspire and motivate the younger women, create the platform for women to speak to policy makers, and value chain producers."

She said they were already working with 500 women farmers between ages 18 and 44 were in Oxfam's pilot phase in states like Ogun, Plateau, Cross River, Oyo, Kastina, Nasarawa, FCT, Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos. These women are into different areas of farming, and looks forward to work with more women farmers, including women associations, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Meanwhile, National Programme Coordinator, Association of Small-scale Agro Producers in Nigeria, ASAPIN, Charles Yarima, appealed to government to develop strong political will for women to have special attention on agricultural programmes that will bridge the gap between them and their male counterparts.

• Nigeria