Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has called on the Plateau State government to enact a law that would enable women to inherit houses, land and other property.
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Country Advocacy, Media and Communication Manager of the non-governmental organisation (NGO), Sabiu Shehu, during a roundtable, yesterday, in Jos, maintained that the law became necessary to reduce women’s vulnerability in the state.

He said: “Women and girls are the most vulnerable set of people in any society; they are denied access to land, housing and other properties.

“In Plateau, we know the state government has enacted some laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, Gender and Equal Opportunities Law to promote the rights of women, but we are calling on the state government to specifically enact a law that would ensure our women and girls have access to housing, land, properties and other inheritance,” he said.

Shehu said the meeting was part of its Small Advocacy Fund (SAF) project funded by the Norwegian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

He explained that the meeting would sensitise critical stakeholders towards addressing the challenges experienced by women in the state, particularly in rural communities.

NRC is currently implementing the project in Riyom, Bassa, Shendam, Mangu, Bokkos and Wase local councils.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Gender, Mrs. Olivia Daziem, commended NRC for organising the meeting aimed at creating equal opportunities for women.

Daziem, who maintained that existing laws in the state promote equal opportunities for women, however, decried the absence of adequate awareness about the laws.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting had community leaders, government officials, legal practitioners, media, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), among others, as participants.
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