The Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Esther Onyekesi, has reaffirmed the state’s commitment to partnering with the Women Information Network (WINET) to advance gender equality and strengthen efforts to prevent gender-based violence (GBV).
Speaking while receiving a delegation of WINET during an advocacy visit to her office in Awka, Onyekesi described collaboration between government and civil society organisations as indispensable to achieving lasting impact in protecting the rights and welfare of women and girls.
The advocacy visit formed part of WINET’s broader South-East campaign aimed at strengthening women’s movements, fostering collaboration among stakeholders and enhancing institutional responses to gender-based violence through strategic partnerships with government agencies, civil society organisations and development partners.
“We are working together. We need one another to excel. It’s not something you do alone. I can’t do it without you people,” the commissioner said, assuring the delegation of the ministry’s readiness to support initiatives that align with the state’s development priorities.
She also urged the organisation to maintain close communication with the ministry, saying, “For something like this, a call is okay. Just call me so that when you are coming, I know you are coming. You are welcome. You are always welcome in Anambra State.”
Earlier, WINET’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mrs. Chinelo Dim, who represented the Executive Director, said the advocacy visit was part of efforts to deepen collaboration with the Anambra State Government under the project, “Strengthening Women’s Rights Organizations in Nigeria for Gender-Based Violence Prevention,” supported by the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement.
According to Dim, WINET is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to building an informed society where women and girls know, exercise and enjoy their rights while fulfilling their civic responsibilities.
She said one of the flagship activities implemented under the project was a national webinar titled “Strengthening Women’s Movement: A Strategy for Gender-Based Violence Prevention in Nigeria,” organised to commemorate International Women’s Day. The webinar, she noted, brought together participants from across Nigeria, including persons with disabilities, and equipped them with practical tools and strategies for strengthening women’s movements and promoting coordinated campaigns against GBV.
Dim further disclosed that the project includes compiling a directory of women-led organisations, male allies, community-based organisations and Sexual Assault Referral Centres across the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
She informed the commissioner that WINET would soon organise capacity-building workshops across the participating states and invited the ministry to attend or nominate a representative. She also sought the state’s partnership and support to ensure the successful implementation of the project’s activities in Anambra.
The WINET delegation was accompanied on the advocacy visit by representatives of several women-led non-governmental organisations.
