Zamfara First Lady To Promote Girl Child Education, Women Development

By Tony Okechukwu


The Wife of Zamfara Governor, Hajiya Aisha Matawalle, has said that she will establish a task force to promote women empowerment and girl child education in the State.

Aisha disclosed  this on Sunday while speaking with journalists in Gusau at a reception organised for her by ‘Initiative for Muslim Women Forum’, a  Non Governmental Organization (NGO).

She said  that the task force would comprise people of proven character whom would be charged with the responsibility of identifying vulnerable girls, women and groups across the State who were in need of urgent care and support to improve their lives.

“My NGO will quickly mobilise all that will be needed to ameliorate the condition or situation that such a person or persons may be facing", she said.

“The NGO will largely focus on women and the girl child, but this does not in any way mean that the boy child will be left out, no, only that the girls are more disadvantaged. l know what it feels like, having passed through such stages", she explained.

“We will, within the resources available, look for ways through which we can empower women even by approaching other organisations that are willing to embrace the initiative", she added.

“This is aimed at ensuring that once the mothers are empowered, the issue of street hawking by the girl child will be highly minimised and the women will be encouraged to send their children to school", she pointed out.

’’Who knows, such a girl that is given this opportunity might become a leader tomorrow,” she said.

The Governor’s wife appealed to the well-to-do and groups in the State to support the initiative which would concentrate on the rural populace who were more in need of the intervention.

Hajiya Hadiza Imam, Amira of the Forum, said that the programme was organised to thank Allah for the new administration of the State, pray for the success of the leaders and advise them to be God fearing while discharging their responsibilities.

“We shall continue to support the Zamfara Government with prayers and advice so that the players can bring more dividends of democracy to the people of the State. Already, the Governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, has announced free education and free medical care for women and children in the State, this is a right decision coming at the right time, we pray for more of such to come,” the Amira said.