Life and Peace Development Organisation/Inclusive Agricultural Cluster has bemoaned the lack of women-friendly environment in the agricultural sector in Ekiti State.
Agro-women Leader of the Cluster, Mrs Omolola Pereao, said, “Our discovery over the years has been that the challenges facing women farmers in Ekiti State are enormous including lack of finance, absence of farm equipment and as well agric input which are fallout of detached attitude of the government to the plight of women farmers and lack of financial support for them”.
Pereao spoke in Ado Ekiti while celebrating the 2022 International Women’s Day Campaign, with the theme “Break the Bias,” an event supported by USAIDS and Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement, which had in attendance Agro-women groups, Joint Network of Persons Living With disabilities, and Country Women Association.
Pereao advocated a robust policy environment in the state that would be gender-responsive and focuses on empowering the needs of the small holder women farmers.
“It is also imperative for Ekiti State Government to have a dedicated budget line that focuses on empowering small holder women farmers to add values to their produce,” she said.
She lamented, “What obtains at present in the state is that the enabling environment is not there for small holder women farmers to survive. Since there are no tractors or equipment to work with in the state, they have to travel out of the state to rent such. The same is applicable to chemicals and other agro inputs which they travel as far as Ibadan in Oyo State to buy.
“Cattle menace and general insecurity have remained threats to the survival of women farmers as we have cases whereby they sourced loans to farm only for cows to ravage the farms. Such is devastating and tragic. Worse still, there are no forms of compensation to such victims while government has continued to pay lip service to the issue of insecurity.
“To redress the trend and break the barrier and the bias in line with this year’s IWD Campaign, we are calling on government to, among others, create robust policy environment in the agricultural sector that will support the empowerment needs of small holder women farmers including those living with disabilities.
“We also call on stakeholders at all levels to ensure inclusíve participation of small holder women farmers as business membership organisation for inclusion into the organised private sector.
“Also, government should go all out to tame the monster of insecurity which is affecting lives and property of everybody including women farmers. Government should find lasting solution to the farmers-herders’ crises in the state with a view to ending destruction of farmlands by cattle and as well consideration for payment of compensation to victims as encouragement,” Pereao said.
Government should find lasting solution to the farmers-herders’ crises in the state with a view to ending destruction of farmlands by cattle and as well consideration for payment of compensation to victims as encouragement,” Pereao said.
