The National Women Council (NWC) has called on the 36 states of the federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to adopt and institute the “HeforShe” campaign in their various states.

The call for adoption was part of the 19-paragraph resolutions in a communique read and issued to newsmen on Thursday at the end of the 21st Regular National Council Meeting on Women Affairs, held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the five-day event had as its theme “Gender equality: A panacea for enduring security and sustainable economic recovery in the post COVID-19 era”.

States were urged to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 and the 2003 Child Rights Acts, as well as prioritize women empowerment programmes, promote agri-businesses and assist them in requisite skill.

They were also encouraged to make capital available for women to enable them deploy technology in production, processing and marketing of products in Nigeria.

In a communique, the council also stated that there should be more pragmatic and holistic approaches by various tiers of governments to tackle issues of drug and substance abuse among children and women in Nigeria.

“High level advocacy by the Minister and commissioners for women affairs to relevant stakeholders were made to enhance effective implementation of the mandate of the ministry.

“All states and other relevant stakeholders should key into the Federal Government’s National LPG cooking gas (LPG-NCG) project and Economic Tree Planting activities to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change on women and other vulnerable groups.

“All tiers of governments should ensure gender mainstreaming and inclusion of women in all spheres of life, including measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls in Nigeria.

“There should be deliberate aggressive actions to promote girl child education and Mass literacy programmes at all levels in Nigeria,” the communique said.

The council also called on states to undertake key measures and follow-up actions to assist in evacuation of street children and others abandoned due to insurgency.

States were urged to prioritise activities to end all forms of violence against children, women and other vulnerable groups, creation of special court across the country to fast track the prosecution of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence offenders.

The special courts, the communique said, are also to accelerate survivors’ access to justice and assistance, as well as keep records of all major international days for women and children to draw attention to women and children’s plight.

It also called for social inclusion and intervention of actions to increase women representation in governance and leadership at all levels and the harmonisation of state ministries of women affairs operational structure with the parents ministry.

The council also urged states to create additional departments and outstation for the Ministry of Women Affair, and economic empowerment of women through the formation of cooperative society groups.

They were also urged to embark on capacity building in agric businesses, entrepreneurial development for vulnerable women at the grassroots and domesticate and implement national gender policies at all levels.

They were urged to establish “one stop centre” and situation rooms dashboard on SGBV in all states of the federation and implement UNSCR 1325 at all levels to stem the challenge of insecurity, banditry and kidnapping in the society.

The council said that states should also prioritise and work towards ending all forms of violence against children, and focus on increase in budgetary allocation for children’s protection in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s nine-point agenda.

It urged states to strengthen services to support policy and legal frameworks, as well as introduce sex offenders’ register in all states.

NAN