By Fatima Saka
Women in Energy, Oil and Gas (WEOG) in collaboration with Partnership for Advancing Women in Economic Development (PAWED), Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC), have taken the forefront to empower women to advocate against marginalization gaps in energy, oil and gas sectors in Nigeria.
The organisations held a two-day workshop which started on Thursday in Abuja, titled: “Capacity Building on Advocacy and communication for Women’s Economic Empowerment in the Energy, Oil and Gas Sector.”
In her welcome address, the Executive Director of Development Research and Project Centre, Dr. Judith-Ann Walker said the most critical time in Nigeria at this point, is when women have been side-lined in the energy, oil and gas sectors.
Dr. Judith assured the women, “when we engage with you in the next few days, you carry the weight on your shoulders.
“Because policy advocacy is not about benefit. Policy and advocacy is about how the constituency that you represent will benefit from the interests of the goals and public benefits,” she said.
She added that this workshop is about building capacity for tactics, strategies, and knowledge approaches on how to advocate.
“But our approach is knowledge driven, not just using data management and advocating in an exclusive area or reaching the target audience, but using data for something that will benefit the generality of the people.
Dr. Oladunni Owo, the National President of Women in Energy, Oil and gas (WEOG) stated that the two days workshop is to address the challenges and barriers that women are facing economically in the sector.
She stated that energy, oil and gas sector is a peculiar sector and traditionally known to be a male dominated industry and because of the traditional background, the industry has been known in time to be like a physical energy executive industry.
In bridging the gap, she expressed that, “To be able to reach knowledge, to link women, women in energy and gas need to start thinking of possibilities, to start thinking of ways we can close the energy, gender and poverty gaps.”
Furthermore, Dr. Dayil Plangsat, Gender adviser at dRPC said the workshop is focused on training the women to improve their capacity for policy, advocacy and also in budgetary implementations where women benefit from it.
According to her, the team will define the work plan and action to take in strategy and the implementation of the policy for further discourse between now and the next six month.
Also, Prof. Nsude Ifeyinwa, a Professor from Mass Communication Department Ebonyi State, said women are faced with so many challenges in energy, oil and gas sector, that it is the major reason why the workshop is organized to give facts on why women are side-lined in leadership position.
She further lamented that only 18 percent of women are employed in energy, oil and gas and it is worrisome, also that women are being perceived not to be capable in that sector.
She added that the way forward is for women to acquire skills to be more proficient in advocacy, adding that it will improve the economy in the oil and gas sector.
