Taraba state government with support from the World Bank, on Thursday inaugurated a livestock productivity resilience project for 41,000 households to enhance their livelihoods.
The State Project Coordinator, Mr Hananiah Albert, said this at the inauguration of the project in Jalingo.
Abert said that the development was to enhance livestock productivity, and improve the economic wellbeing of families to help them address the issue of gender-based violence.
“The cardinal objective of this project involves training members of the project implementation unit in preventing gender-based violence.
“This is important giving the psychological impact of gender-based violence on victims which hampers productivity in various livelihood aspects, including livestock production.
“We seek to challenge the societal stereotypes that are a disadvantage to certain genders, such as cultural norms, preventing women from owning properties like lands, farms or engaging in animal rearing.
“Given the fact that farming and livestock production form the backbone of rural livelihoods in the state, the project has also planned to include entrepreneurial skills that will boost beneficiaries’ income,” he said.
Mrs Maryam Adamu, a Gender Mainstreaming Specialist, said that the project’s approach was not only aimed at enhancing livestock productivity.
According to her, the project will also address social challenges that were an impediment to the full potential of rural communities to better their lots.
