Welcome to The Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative Wiki.

Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) RC 28137A is a CAC registered Non-Governmental Organisation which provides multi-sectoral interventions with a gender-sensitive focus and has a vision to enlighten women by giving them access to vital simplified information that will help them achieve their life’s goals, expose them to various opportunities, encourage women of all ages to imbibe the virtue of hard work and accountability, encourage reading culture and professionalism amongst women, encourage IT Literacy, encourage women participation in policy formulation and governance, encourage and promote girl child education in Nigeria, hold accountable various organisations whose mandate is to address women’s needs, encourage girl child education in Nigeria and work towards the achievement of MDGs 2, 3, 4 & 5. We design and deliver relevant developmental initiatives and use creative means to build self-esteem and confidence in girls and women and youth in general.



AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

• Enlighten Girls/Women on health, political, economic and social issues and topics
• Encourage Girl-child Education
• Inspire Girls/Women to aspire to be the best they can be - Aim for Excellence
• Encourage political participation of girls/women and civic education for women
• Enlighten girls/women on preventive health measures
• Advocate for women’s rights through programmes, advertorials and participation by girls/women in the form of article writing, essay competitions etc
• Work towards the accomplishment of Millennium Development Goals 2, 3, 4 and 5
• Make simplified information accessible to girls/women at no cost
• Get involved in and advocate for progressive budgeting practices and good governance initiatives
• Advocating for legislation for women’s rights and the rights of the girl child
• Using creative means like sports to build self-esteem and confidence in girls and women and youth in general.

THE MAIN ACTIVITIES OF OUR ORGANISATION ARE:

v Empowerment and Topical Seminars (Focuses on issues like HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Cancer (Breast, Cervical etc) Excelling in careers, Girl-Child Education, MDG awareness, Health practices etc

v Bi-Monthly Newsletters featuring topics that touch on health, politics, economic empowerment, security, food and nutrition etc v Website and IT Literacy programs: Access to the same information in our newsletters and also a lot of helpful resources. This also supposed to encourage IT literacy among girls and women.

v Advocacy and Participation: This involves media advocacy and speaking out to inspire women to greater heights as well as speaking out against infringement on women’s rights in the nation. It also involves making a case for necessary legislation for enforcements of women’s rights.

v Sports, Recreational, Intervention and Step down Programs: These programs are usually designed in collaboration with other organization to further the development of women in the various subject matters.

Find out more about us on our website www.eweinitiative.org. This wiki will enable you post messages and contribute to our work. You can also learn more about us in our About Us page and how you can support our work by clicking on the Support Us link.

You can obtain copies of our Free Bi-Monthly Newsletters and you can also view the online version by clicking on EWEI News

MARCH 2012


EWEI NEWS IS BACK!!!
Check out and Download the March 2012 Edition on www.eweinews.wetpaint.com

CEPWOP has benefitted at least 2,325 beneficiaries Nigerian Citizens since November 2010. The town hall meeting provided a platform for engagement between aspiring politicians to local government council seats and women in the community as well as capacity building for members of the community on their role in governance. The Town Hall was facilitated by Ms. Elizabeth Anche, a broadcaster, producer and presenter at the Kaduna State Media Corporation. Presentations at the event included goodwill messages from Ms.Diana Agabi, State



Program Manager of ABANTU for Development, Statement of Purpose from Safiya Ibn Garba EWEI Programme Director, pastors and chief host Tina Simon(It is well). The Keynote address was given by Mal. Yusuf Gimi, Secretary, State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) on "Women's Role in Governance."

In attendance at the town hall meeting were 41 participants, 12 special guests including representatives from ABANTU for Development, State Independent Electoral Commission, The Moment and New Nigerian Newspapers, Barnawa Micro-finance bank Global Community Prime Initiative as well as pastors and a government official and 4 EWEI staff. The town hall meeting was facilitated in both English and Hausa languages and supported by Open Meadows Foundation, NY USA. Please see bottom of home page for full report.



NOVEMBER 2011
OCTOBER 2011
HRH Prince Feisal Opens Generations For Peace Sochi Camp 2011 Royal welcome for delegates from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Serbia and the Russian Federation Sochi, Russia, 10 October 2011: Generations For Peace’s eighth peace building camp was opened today in Sochi by the international NGO’s Founder and Chairman, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, who expressed his conviction that this latest group of inspirational young change makers will “play their part in forging a brighter future for this generation and the next.” Generations For Peace Sochi Camp 2011 will build on the enormous successes of last year’s camp on Russia’s Black Sea coast. 53 delegates from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Serbia and the Russian Federation, identified through Generations For Peace’s rigorous selection process, will receive 10 days’ intensive training in the use of sport for peace and development. The training curriculum will consist of ten highly-developed modules designed to equip delegates with the tools they need to implement sustainable peace through sport projects: Sport and Peace; Peace Building; Working with Children and Youth; Train the Trainers; Advocacy and Partnerships; Facilitator’s Guide; and four sports-specific modules.


Speaking at a press conference for this morning’s launch, HRH Prince Feisal described the keen sense of anticipation running through the group:

“I really share the delegates’ excitement about what lies ahead over the next ten days. I have been truly humbled and inspired by the delegates we have trained in the past, and the incredible impact they have gone on to achieve. These delegates may be just beginning their own journey with us, but I have no doubt that they too will become certified as Generations For Peace Pioneers, and feel that sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from serving their communities.”
Also speaking at this morning’s press conference was Mayor of Sochi, Anatoly Pakhomov. HRH Prince Feisal hailed their shared vision of using the power of sport for peace and development, and thanked Mayor Pakhomov for his leadership in driving that vision. Mayor Pakhomov commented: ‘We are honoured and delighted to welcome Generations For Peace back to Sochi for the second time. Our preparations to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2014 have given Sochi a great opportunity to stimulate positive social change throughout the region, through the combined power of sport and volunteerism. Partnering with an international NGO like Generations For Peace, with its expert facilitators and highly-developed curriculum, means we can help spread that change in our City, our region, our nation, and beyond.’ Generations For Peace Sochi Camp 2011 is the eighth training camp staged since the organisation’s inception in 2007. Last year’s camp in Sochi was the NGO’s first camp in Europe and it represented a significant landmark in its mission to achieve a truly global impact. Over the next ten days, the organisation’s leadership is confident that with the committed support of the city of Sochi and the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, Generations For Peace will take another great leap forward in that mission. EWEI's Programme Director who is also a Generations For Peace Pioneer and Facilitator attended the camp and facilitated several sessions during the camp. She was also a special guest judge at a Sochi private school children olympic presentation event and spoke at a Sochi 2014 volunteers camp. 19 October 2011, Sochi, Russia: Generations For Peace and Sochi 2014 today signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding that commits both organisations to supporting delegates from Generations For Peace Sochi Camps in their implementation of sustainable peace building projects. The international peace through sport NGO, founded by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein of Jordan, and the collective stakeholders of the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will work together to support programmes implemented by delegates who have attended a Generations For Peace Sochi Camp. This shared commitment to concrete action will help ensure these programmes can make a long-term impact on communities blighted by conflict. The commitment is a key part of Sochi 2014’s legacy initiative. The signing ceremony took place at the closing press conference of Generations For Peace Sochi Camp 2011 – the latest hugely fruitful alliance between the international NGO, Sochi 2014, and Sochi City Administration. The MOU was signed by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, Founder and Chairman of Generations For Peace, and Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, and witnessed and supported by Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Kozak. Also present were Mayor of Sochi, Anatoly Pakhomov, and President of Generations For Peace, HRH Princess Sarah Al-Feisal.

ADDITIONAL ONGOING PROGRAMMES

Generations For Peace Second Generation Delegates have carried out additional programmes in 2011 including:

• A Vote for Peace SPE Zamani College, Kaduna North LGA, Kaduna on 1st of April 2011- Adams Isaac/Abdulrazak Usma, Alica Otu
• Working with Children and Youth Seminar at , Zonkwa,Zangon Kataf LGA Kaduna, Nigeria on the14th-5th October 2011- Mavis Orjime/Essien Etuk
• Refresher Peace Building Session at NYSFON Pitch, Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna on the 28th of October 2011- Safiya Ibn Garba Step Down Peace Building Session at Maiduguri Road, Kaduna North LGA on 30th October 2011- Muhammed Adamu
• Sporting Event for Almajiris Doka District, Kaduna Nigeria on the 5th of November 2011- Babatunde Ayo Ajiga
• Sporting Programme for Children and Youth at PTS, Kaduna, Nigeria on 6th November 2011- Babatudne Ayo Ajiga

In addition, Generations For Peace First Generation Pioneer Safiya Ibn Garba has continued her monthly Sporting Programme for Children at :
Prince Schools, Narayi High Cost , Kaduna, Nigeria
Government Girls Secondary School Junior Section Independence Way,Kaduna, Nigeria.
These events continue to be supported by Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative.

Generations For Peace holds first ever Curriculum Refresher Workshop 1st- 2nd October 2011
From 1 to 2 October, Generations For Peace staged our first ever Curriculum Refresher Workshop in Lebanon. We have stepped up our mission to provide Pioneers and Delegates with the most cutting-edge tools and techniques and now projects on the ground are becoming better equipped to make a real difference in conflict zones.

The Curriculum Refresher Workshop reunited 24 Lebanese Pioneers and Delegates, trained either directly at Generations For Peace camps in Amman between 2007 and 2010, or indirectly through local programmes in Lebanon since 2008.

The two-day workshop was tailored to meet these practitioners’ most pressing needs, with bespoke content addressing facilitation skills, peace building, monitoring and evaluation, and sport activities with team games like softball and football. The workshop was facilitated by Generations For Peace Pioneer and EWEI Programme Director, Safiya Ibn Garba.




SEPTEMBER 2011

Generations For Peace held a one day Advocacy event for members of the media, civil society, religious, women, youth groups and government officials from four Local Government Areas in Kaduna State. The event was also to mark the international peace day which is celebrated every year to raise awareness about peace and its significance, as well as to inspire individuals and empower communities to celebrate victories of tolerance, understanding and reconciliation that have been won throughout the year. It is marked every year on September 21, and is a day when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace. Established by a U.N. resolution in 1982, "Peace Day" has grown to include millions of people around the world who participate in all kinds of events, large and small. The event was held at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, Nigeria.



The one day Advocacy Event (ADE) seminar consisted of a full day of training using Generations for Peace educational modules (Sport and Peace, Advocacy and Partnerships and Working with Children) and practical peace building through sport sessions which were facilitated by Generations for Peace facilitators : Pioneer and delegates from the 1st to the 3rd Generation including EWEI Programme Director, Safiya Ibn Garba.


The peace building through sports session practically demonstrated using sport for peace building with participants having lots of fun while learning to build peace. 23 youth and leaders of youth and officials from Kaduna North, South, Zangon Kataf and Soba Local Government Areas, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Women Groups, Faith based organizations, Persons with disabilities groups, Media, Community and Urban based Civil Society Organizations attended the event effectively becoming Generations for Peace Advocates back in their communities and organizations.

The event also featured the symbolic lighting of peace candles to commemorate the International Peace Day. The symbolic lighting of Peace candles is to commemorate all young victims of conflicts around the world and bring light to our wishes and desires for a more peaceful world. EWEI is a local Non-Exclusive partner of Generations For Peace. The International Peace Day event was organised and supported by Generations For Peace and Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI). EWEI continues to support the 1st - 3rd Generation Generations For Peace Delegates programmes in collaboration with Generations For Peace. Please follow the Generations for Peace Let Her Play Link for more information.




EWEI AT WORKSHOP ON OPERATIONALISING A WORK PLAN FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NASS) COMMITTEES ORGANISED BY POLICY AND LEGAL ADVOCACY CENTRE (PLAC) IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRITISH DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE 14TH AND 15TH OF SEPTEMBER 2011 AT HAWTHORN SUITES, ABUJA.
Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) attended and participated in a workshop on Operationalising a work plan for NASS committees organized by PLAC and DFID on the 14th and 15th of September 2011 at Hawthorn Suites Abuja. In the statement of purpose, Omolara Akinyeye stated that in May 2011, PLAC and DFID organized a workshop in Minna to begin developing a work plan manual for the committees of the NASS. As a follow up to this process, this workshop is a step down training over a two day period for two different sets of staff of the NASS to help committees better organize their work and become more productive. Please see the bottom of the page for the full report.





EWEI AT DESMIMS TELEVISION (DITV) TEENS AND TWEENS PROGRAMME FEATURED ON THE 10TH OF SEPTEMBER 2011

EWEI Programme Director, Safiya Ibn Garba featured on a DITV Programme; Teens and Tweens to talk about the challenges of adolescents and the importance of Literacy.

The programme highlighted the various issues teenagers and young people faced in the society like the physiological, psychological and environmental challenges and how better parents, schools and other stakeholders can address those issues.


EWEI PD called on all to play their part to help to address issues like teenage pregnancy, youth restiveness and appealed to the media to use their resources and coverage to support programmes like Literacy by Radio.
She also called on the government to commit more resources to mass literacy which would also help to promote peace in the society and encouraged the use of counselors to help teenagers and young adults through the challenging growing up years. The programme was broadcast on DITV at 10.30am on Saturday, 10th September 2011.



EWEI JOINS THE GENDER WORKING GROUP AND STATE AGENCY FOR MASS LITERACY TO COMMEMORATE THE WORLD LITERACY DAY ON THE 7TH OF SEPTEMBER 2011

Report Coming soon



AUGUST 2011

EWEI AT A TWO DAY WORKSHOP ON IMPROVING COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (NASS) COMMITTEES AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS (CSOs) ORGANISED BY POLICY AND LEGAL ADVOCACY CENTRE (PLAC) WITH SUPPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DFID) ON THE 10TH AND 11TH OF AUGUST 2011 AT HAWTHORN SUITES, ABUJA

EWEI attended and participated in a workshop on Improving Collaboration between NASS committees and CSOs which was organized by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) with support from the British Department for International Development (DFID).

In the statement of purpose, Ijeoma Ugwueze of PLAC noted that the NASS is an important platform for achieving the much needed change in Nigeria’s governance and as a law making body the NASS role in facilitating change is significant in Nigeria’s democracy. Civil Society Groups are also key stakeholders in the legislative process and work in specific areas. To make meaning of their work CSOs will need to ensure that their work feeds into the policy process as well as legislature. Thus cooperation between CSOs and NASS becomes an imperative.

In his opening remarks, Executive Director PLAC, Clement Nwankwo also highlighted the importance of Civil Society involvement in the legislative process and how a result of that involvement is the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act. He paid tribute to His Excellency Jerry Ugokwe who was a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003 and was the initiator of the Freedom of Information Bill and introduced the most bills in the House of Representatives at that time, he was then appointed an ambassador in further service to his nation.

Jerry Ugokwe also raised the motion that former military rulers should not get remuneration as past presidents especially since they already get paid as retired military officers and very particularly for the fact that they were not duly elected into office. He also introduced the cult and secret society bill after receiving several submissions in his constituency office about the negative impact of such groups and his proposing such a bill was accompanied with risks. He also introduced bills to address gender based violence which was keenly supported by Civil Society partners including Clement Nwankwo of PLAC.

Chief Odun of DFID delivered a goodwill message where he stated DFID’s goals including their commitment to improve the voices of the general citizenry. He added that good collaboration results in good legislative process.
The Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly Muyiwa Adejokun in his goodwill messages on both days also noted how vital the staff of the NASS are to the legislative process and how important their engagement is with Civil Society. He wished all fruitful deliberations and even helped set some very practical ground rules while asking participants to participate and share ideas and knowledge.

His Excellency Jerry Ugokwe’s two presentations were titled: Bridging the Gap between Advocacy and policy and Bridging the Citizens and Activities of the National Assembly. Jerry Ugokwe stated that such workshops were apt not just for the staff of the NASS but all of the NASS. He noted that only five members out of three hundred and sixty members still remain in the House since 1999 and only two in the Senate. The full report on proceedings in available at the bottom of the home page. You can also visit our facebook page, "EWEI Empowerment through Enligthenment."


JULY 2011

EWEI QUARTERLY EMPOWERMENT SEMINAR HELD ON THE 30TH OF JULY 2011 AT ABANTU FOR DEVELOPMENT, KADUNA, NIGERIA

An empowerment seminar was held on the 30th of July 2011 at ABANTU for Development from 11.00am. This edition was the second in 2011 (being the second quarter) and featured a review session of the Educational Subsidy Programme, a Bring Back the Book segment and basic computing segment.

The meeting which started late due to the newly re-introduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise kicked off at 11.00am with a review of the ESP with five beneficiaries present, three guardians and one teacher.

The first session was facilitated by EWEI Programme Director Safiya Ibn Garba, She gave a brief narrative about the progress of the ESP and how the project has progressed since it took off. She talked about the challenges EWEI has faced in its implementation and also extended the sympathies of EWEI at the death of the father of one of the beneficiaries, Jemilat Abdulkareem.The second segment was facilitated by Ms. Elizabeth Anche, a broadcaster, producer and presenter at the Kaduna State Media Corporation.
She steered the Bring Back the Book (BBTB) segment where participants were taught about communication, reading and pronunciation. This segment was a highly interactive session where participants got to express their views on different topics as well as a practical reading session.






JUNE 2011

06/06/2011 3 YEARS OF EWEI.
PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY TO ENABLE US IMPROVE ON OUR SERVICE DELIVERY :
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PHRVQYP




EWEI AT THE POST ELECTION MEETING ON THE 2011 NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTIONS: EXPERIENCE SHARING, LESSONS LEARNT AND THE WAY FORWARD HELD AT SHERATON HOTEL ABUJA, WEDNESDAY JUNE 1ST 2011

EWEI attended and participated the post election meeting on the 2011 Nigeria elections to share experiences, lessons learned and chart a course for the way forward with other stakeholders.The meeting brought together all of the stakeholders and actors in the 2011 Nigeria general elections to share experiences on their roles during the preparation and conduct of the elections. Participants at the meeting included representatives from INEC, NP, Office of the NSA, Civil Society and Development Partners.



The report also details losses from the post election crisis in two states and suggestions to and responses from INEC on several issues raised. Please go to the bottom of the page to download the full report in PDF.


MAY 2011




Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative’s Programme Director Safiya Ibn Garba featured on “Talk Your Mind” a DITV current affairs programme on the subject “Women and the 2011 Elections.”

With host Segun Victor, EWEI PD talked about how women fared in the 2011 elections- from their involvement in political parties, their aspirations for political offices, their role as electorate and the challenges they faced being a part of the 2011 elections.



She also expatiated on how the various events before and during the elections affected women and other vulnerable groups.

She used the opportunity to call on elected officials to deliver good governance and ensure a better quality of life for all as she encouraged the electorate not to rest on their oars but to continue to engage elected and government officials demanding accountability in civil ways to ensure better service delivery post 2011 elections.She also talked about the efforts of the various CSOs of the Gender Working Group pre and post elections to promote civic education. DITV broadcasts to over half of Kaduna State’s 6 million plus residents. The programme was broadcast on the 17th of May 2011 at 10.00pm.

APRIL 2011

EWEI AND THE 2011 ELECTIONS

Throughout the month of April, EWEI actively took part in election observation through EWEI's involvement in the Nigeria Elections Situation Room.

From the co-ordination of Polling Unit observation from the Situation Room in Abuja to the on the ground observation and reporting, EWEI took part in a ground breaking effort convened by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) where various Civil Society Organisations and networks brought their resources together to bring real time and relevant information and analysis on the Nigeria 2011 elections.

EWEI also observed the elections under the Justice for All auspices with particular focus on the Conduct of Security agencies during the process. Several reports and papers have been produced as a result of these activities which can all be downloaded at the bottom of the page.

Please got to the bottom of the page to download all EWEI Colour coded PU reports and http://www.inecnigeria.org/results/ for Elections results published by INEC


MARCH 2011



EWEI AS PART OF THE GENDER WORKING GROUP AT MEDIUM TERM SECTOR STRATEGY (MTSS) WORKSHOP AT DAN FODIO HALL, PYRAMID HOTEL ON THE 30TH OF MARCH 2011

The Gender Working Group participated and made a presentation at the Medium Term Strategy Workshop at Danfodio Hall Assaa Pyramid Hotel Kaduna on the 30th of March 2011.


In the speech of the Permanent Secretary presented by the representative of the Honourable Commissioner and Permanent Secretary of The Ministry of Economic Planning, he stated that he hoped this workshop would set the pace for the 2012 budgeting process. He said, “….. the fact that this meeting was taking place in the first quarter of the year shows that we hope to be better prepared to face challenges which may arise while discussing those faced last year we hope to be able to make out solutions for a better process this year.”

He appreciates DFID through SPARC for their continued support in ensuring better systems and structures for better service delivery. Shinning a spotlight on the Eleven Point Agenda (EPA), he noted that it gives priority to the following areas.
· Peace and security

· Improved welfare packages for civil servants
· Infrastructural development especially road construction
· Tertiary Education
· Water Expansion
The implications of the MTSS and KDSP and State Vision 2020 are not dire as the state already had these as its priorities from beginning therefore the policy directive is centered towards achieving the set goals and objectives designed in the state plans.

There is also currently a review of the MDAs that have adopted the MTSS process to see what has been done and how much the process has worked. He wished all good and successful discussions.



EWEI AT GENDER AND SOCIAL INCLUSION WORKSHOP FROM 23RD - 25TH MARCH 2011 AT TEEJAY HOTEL ZARIA, KADUNA

EWEI participated in a Gender and Social Inclusion workshop as part of the Gender Working Group from 23rd - 25th March 2011 at Teejay Hotel, Zaria, Kaduna.

The workshop featured presentations and group work on gender and inclusion concepts, Frameworks to gender and social inclusion analysis, checklists for analysis of policy documents and women empowerment frameworks.


The workshop was very useful and educational for all participants and helped everyone begin to see opportunities for wider application of gender and social inclusion concepts in individual and partnership work.
The two day workshop also saw advocacy partners from the different groups design work plans to apply acquired knowledge.

EWEI AT THE 2011 ELECTIONS SITUATION ROOM’S CSOs INTERACTIVE DIALOUGE WITH INEC CHAIRMAN PROF. ATTAHIRU JEGA AT IMMACULATE SUITES, ABUJA ON THE 21ST OF MARCH 2011 ORGANISED BY POLICY AND ADVOCACY LEGAL CENTRE (PLAC)

Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) participated in an interactive session with INEC Chair Prof. Attahiru Jega on the 21st of March, 2011 at Immaculate Suites, Abuja at 10.00am – 1.00pm. Clement Nwankwo Executive Director PLAC, started proceedings by appreciating everyone present particularly the INEC Chairman Prof. Jega, development partners like OSIWA, UNDP and DFID and Civil Society Organizations from across the country.



Brief messages came from UNDP and OSIWA where they expressed their delight at such a platform that would bring INEC and CSOs together for the first time to talk about upcoming elections and to give CSOs a chance to ask questions and get clarity direct from the Commission’s top management.




Mashood Erubami, Chairman, TMG, who chaired the occasion, asked the INEC Chair to give his opening remarks. In his remarks, Prof. Jega said he was delighted at the opportunity to meet with Civil Society and gave an update on the Commission’s preparedness for the 2011 elections. Please see the bottom of the page to download the full report on the Interactive dialogue.






EWEI AT A ONE DAY TRAINING FOR CSOS AS SECURITY OBSERVERS FOR THE 2011 GENERAL ELECTIONS ON MARCH 15th, 2011, AT ASAA PYRAMID HOTELS, KADUNA.

Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative participated in a one day training for CSOs as observers on the policing/security of the forthcoming 2011 general elections. The training was organized by Justice for All on the 15th of March 2011 at Asaa Pyramid Hotels, Kaduna.

In his welcome address, Mallam Mohammed Auwa welcomed all participants and outlined the aims of the program. He said the aim of training CSOs was to form a partnership between CSOs and J4A to assess institutions of Government as CSOs are generally considered the voice of the community.

The first facilitator was Mr. Tony Ojukwu, Esq, the legal advice consultant of National Human Rights Commission. His presentation was titled “The Role and Functions of Security Forces in elections.” The second paper was a review of the security performance in 2003 and 2007 elections presented by Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, Ambassador for Peace and Executive Director, CLEEN Foundation.


Recommendations were made on how to improve in the next elections.
After lunch break, the INEC Guidelines on Election Observation was presented to participants. The Police service commission guidelines for elections were also discussed. The training came to an end at 4:50pm. EWEI was represented at the seminar by Mavis Orjime.





EWEI AT A TWO DAY RETREAT FOR THE GENDER WORKING GROUP AT SAMINAKA HOLIDAY RESORT, SAMINAKA FROM 14TH- 16TH MARCH 2011

EWEI participated in a two day retreat for the members of the Gender Working Group at Saminaka Holiday Resort, Saminaka from the 14th- 16th of March, 2011. The retreat afforded the partnership to reflect on past work and plan for further activities and engagements.


Several sessions and presentations took place and lessons learned from the workshop included the need for more visible reflection processes, better information management and sharing, more commitment from partnership members and the need to be more strategic in designing and delivering activities and interventions.


EMPOWERING WOMEN FOR EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE HOLDS FIRST EMPOWERMENT SEMINAR FOR 2011 AT 10.00AM ON THE 12TH OF MARCH AT ABANTU FOR DEVELOPMENT, AHMADU BELLO WAY, KADUNA, NIGERIA

EWEI held the first of the 2011 empowerment seminars on the 12th of March 2011 at ABANTU for Development, Y.A. Ahmed House, Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna at 10.00am.


The meeting was attended by 6 ESP beneficiaries, age range 15-17, 3 adolescent girls from YOWE(Youth, Orphans and Widow Empowerment) aged 13-17 and 4 participants from Women with disability self reliance centre Kaduna age range 15- 29. Two of the participants were visually impaired and one hearing impaired. A total of 13 girls benefited from the event.

With 4 chaperons to help facilitate the process including the co-coordinator of women with disability self reliance centre, Riskat Muhammad, 2 staff from KASSES and NASEPHA(who helped facilitate the seminar in sign language for the hearing impaired), one from YOWE and four EWEI staff, the girls took part in various activities.





From a review of their goal setting exercise which started at the last empowerment seminar, they went into a word game session where they sought out words in a word search while learning the meanings of the words, a down to earth discussion on challenges of adolescence, the statue game, a short session on optical illusions to help them develop interest in the sciences and a map of Nigeria jigsaw game.
All of the activities were to help improve their observation and public skills, teamwork and help girls develop interest in sciences. The participants were treated to light refreshment and one of the participants; Bilkisu was also rewarded for punctuality with a little gift.



EMPOWERING WOMEN FOR EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE AND THE KADUNA STATE GENDER WORKING GROUP TEAM UP TO CELEBRATE THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ON THE 8TH OF MARCH, 2011 AT KAYS FUN CENTRE, POLICE COLLEGE, KADUNA, NIGERIA FROM 10AM TO 6PM

On March 8 each year International Women's Day is celebrated around the world. International Women's Day provides an opportunity for communities to recognize and celebrate local women's achievements and the contribution women continue to make to their communities.

The year 2011 is a special year as it is the centenary of International Women's Day. To commemorate this special day, the theme for 2011 is "International Women's Day - Celebrating 100 Years". It is also known as the United Nations (UN) Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace.


This year, EWEI and the GWG marked the IWD by organizing an exhibition and seminar for indigenous women artists/craftswomen aimed at providing them with exposure, display their
craft, help them meet and share experiences with other artists/craftswomen, celebrate their achievements and highlight and address the various issues that affect girls and women in our communities.

The sub-theme for this year’s IWD is Equal Access to education, training, science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women.”


Activities kicked off several days prior to March 8th with appearances by EWEI and GWG on Capital TV on various programmes aimed at raising awareness towards the day. These programmes were Weekend Treat, Breakfast Show on the 5th of March 2011 at 7.00 and 8.00am respectively and Kaduna a Yau on the 7th of March, 2011 at 2.00pm.



At the Exhibition and Seminar on 8th of March, activities started off with a welcome address by Safiya Ibn Garba, Programme Director EWEI , a keynote address by Hon. Dr. Mrs. Hannatu Binyat,Acting Chairman State Independent Electoral Commission(SIECOM) and CEO Poverty Alleviation and Development Centre (PADEC),goodwill messages from development partners, interactive session on women and education, skills acquisition workshops on hat making and computer appreciation and a raffle draw. The event was anchored by Abdiel Kude, Director of Global Community Prime Initiative and Diana Agabi State Programme Officer, ABANTU for Development.




Over 200 people attended the event with 16 groups exhibiting crafts and products at the exhibition out of the 25 that initially indicated interest in the event. . Attendees included UNICEF, SAVI, SPARC, ESSPIN, students from Government Girls Secondary School Doka and Zamani College,students from higher institutions like Kaduna Polytechnic, representatives from different Civil Society organizations,The Embassy of France, Government officials, women and religious groups, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

Exhibiting Groups at the event were:
v Mrs. Comfort Debonnaire
v Youth Orphans and Widows Empowerment (YOWE)
v ABANTU for Development
v Aminci Awareness and Empowerment Club
v Women with Faith
v Haj. Salamatu Ahmed
v Kungiyar Mata Masu Tasuwa
v Divine Venture Fashion Design
v Women in Tourism
v Women with Disability Self-Reliance Centre
v Gracee Creation
v Globuk Art Foundation
v Phildeb Outfit
v Mrs. Uchechi Asekhame
v Ebadan Angela
v Zamani Sage Team

Activities at the event included an interactive session on women and education, skills acquisition workshops on hat making and computer appreciation and a raffle draw. Please search for and check out our face book page Ewei Empowerment Through Enligthenment for all the pictures from the event. The full report can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.


EWEI AT THE SITUATION ROOM ORGANISED BY POLICY AND LEGAL ADVOCACY CENTRE (PLAC) WITH SUPPORT FROM THE OPEN SOCIETY INITIATIVE FOR WEST AFRICA (OSIWA) ON THE 3RD OF MARCH, 2011 AT IMMACULATE SUTIES, ABUJA

The Situation Roomis intended to be a forum for exchange of ideas between Nigeriancivil society groupsworking on the 2011 election issues. The inaugural meeting which held on Thursday March 3, 2011 at theImmaculate Suites Wuse II,Abuja, between9:00 am and4:00 pm. It has been observed that there are several electoral issues that require combined civil society effort to effectively address. These include:

§ Conduct of political parties;
§ INEC’s preparations and civil society liaison with INEC;
§ Conduct of law enforcement agents;
§ Conduct of the Judiciary and preparations for electoral dispute resolution;
§ International advocacy



Discussions centered on the above mentioned issues and what action the situation room would take to address them. A press conference was held on Monday the
EWEI was appointed a member of the steering committee of The Situation Room to represent women and youth from the North-West in addition to other civil society organizations.





OUR PROJECTS


EWEI NEWS

Our free bi-monthly colourful newsletters contain political, educational, health, financial and other articles for girls/women’s benefit is currently distributed in more than 6 states of Nigeria. Topical and colourful, EWEI NEWS contains articles in the local social language of where it is most widely distributed. So far over 6,000 copies have been distributed, free, since commencement of the project in 2008. This project also occasionally features articles and contributions from girls and women helping to play their part in national development. An online version is also available by clicking the link on our site or going direct to the newsletter site: www.eweinews.wetpaint.com.

See more EWEI NEWS



GETTING INVOLVED

A step down of the British Council/World Bank Institute’s Debate to Action, Getting Involved is a programme that seeks to raise awareness about the Millennium Development Goals and the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy among youth, equip them on how to effectively share this information with others in their communities, and to determine their own roles within these frameworks. This knowledge not only empowers young people to be change agents within their communities, but also contributes to transparency and accountability, which in turns supports good governance. By 2009, EWEI has been able to reach over 1,500 youth and adults through the Getting Involved programme which included seminars, newsletters, a Train the Trainers seminar, and distribution of Global Fund insecticide treated mosquito nets. See More GETTING INVOLVED





ESP
EWEI’s ESP is designed to encourage girl child education at all levels. It is currently working to help subsidize the cost of books, uniforms and exam fees for girls from indigent families. EWEI’s ESP fully commenced in 2010 with the signing of agreements between the beneficiaries and EWEI. The ESP is part of EWEI’s efforts at working towards the MDGs and EFA goals. 7 girls from 4 public schools are benefitting from the 2010 ESP award and support commenced with the signing of the ESP agreement.

See More ESP






CEPWOP

This project will provides basic civic education to women and empowers them to go into their communities advocating and cascading their own learning process.



GENERATIONS FOR PEACE LET HER PLAY
In Partnership with Generations for Peace, Amman, Jordan, EWEI has been involved in the design and implementation of the Let Her Play Campaign The campaign is designed with a primary focus of increasing the participation of girls and women in sport in northern Nigeria and help bridge the gender, ethnic, religious and political divides in our local communities. “Let Her Play” has been able to reach over 4,000 children, youth and adults in and beyond Northern Nigeria.
In addition, the cascade process of training and sports programmes has benefitted over 300 children across two states and 15 leaders of youth by the second and third generation delegates.See More : GENERATIONS FOR PEACE LET HER PLAY CAMPAIGN



KNOW AND SAY NO

This project is primarily concerned with raising awareness about Violence against women in the younger demographic who have otherwise been taught that violence against women is "permissible." Cultural and Religious misconceptions about girls have led girls to expect to be abused in one way or the other as they grow up and this has resulted in high levels of violence against women particularly in northern Nigeria. In majority, young girls have been otherwise thought that violence against women is permissible for certain reasons. Know and Say No provides a collaborative approach through seminars, male and female discussion and focus group activities to raise awareness about and discourage violence against women.


EEP
Training programmes and economic empowerment partnerships targeted at low income or out of school girls and women. Beneficiaries of this programme are empowered through capacity building and micro credit facilities to setup or build upon existing economically viable businesses or projects.