By Justina Auta
The National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) has empowered and awarded Grade three trade test certificate to 115 female artisans to promote gender inclusiveness in various male dominated fields.
This was disclosed during the joint graduation ceremony of 2022 residential female artisanship Program and the regular vocational skills training in Abuja.
Dr Asabe Vilita-Bashir, NCWD, Director General, said the training was to improve their livelihood and enable them contribute in male dominated skills.
Vilita-Bashir said the women were trained on tiling and masonry, air-condition and refrigeration, generator repairs, electrical works, plumbing and piping.
“These have long been seen as male preserves and in the past, gender biased.
”We noted paucity of skilled artisans in the construction industry and also noted that the performance in the sector has nothing to do with the sex of individuals, and in response designed the Project “Residential Capacity Building for Female Artisans.
”The program has so far trained over 1000 young females, making the aforementioned skills to be gender responsive and inclusive; and empowered young women and girls economically, so as to enhance national development,” she said.
According to her, the training would enable the female artisans to address basic artisanship needs in the rural communities, especially in areas where men were not allowed to enter places habited by women for cultural and religious reasons.
She added that the artisans would be awarded Grade 3 Trade Test certification in their various identified areas of skills, alongside their start-up packs enable them work in any construction industry.
Similarly, some women were also trained in fashion and garment making, hospitality and tourism, interior and outdoor decoration, cosmetology and beauty therapy.
Others are; catering, cake baking, decoration & sugar craft, bread and pastry making, tie and dye, make up and head gear, bead and jewelry making.
The NCWD boss also called on development partners and other stakeholders to partner with the centre in training and empowerment exercise for women.
On her part, Mrs Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs commended the female artisans for their hard work, commitment and resilience to learn new skills in a male dominated field.
Tallen advised them to utilize the skills acquired and the starter park towards contributing meaningfully in the construction industry.
She expressed optimism that the trading would bridge gap in the construction industry to accommodate more women in the profession.
