DARFUR: North Darfur Exerting Efforts to Empower Rural Women

Date: 
Friday, June 7, 2013
Source: 
Sudan Vision Daily
Countries: 
Africa
Eastern Africa
PeaceWomen Consolidated Themes: 
General Women, Peace and Security
Participation
Human Rights

North Darfur has announced its total commitment to empowering rural women through microfinance programmes as an ideal way of expanding production in the state.

Abu Daoud Suleiman, the North Darfur state Minister for Finance, Economy and Civil Service, expressed readiness to provide all facilities for rural women to enable them to get micro finance funds for their projects, adding that the ministry has opened a special window for women at the micro finance institution in recognition of their leading roles in the community.

“The experiment of micro finance for women is considered a very successful experience nationwide compared to other sectors because women demonstrate commitment to repaying installations on time,” the minister said while addressing a training course on the fundamentals of micro finance for 80 students from North Darfur's localities of El-Fashir, Melit, Tawila and IDP camps, local societies and networks operating in the rural areas. He called on women for necessity to consider projects with economic feasibility.

Muhyaddeen Umran Mustafa, Director of the National Rural Women Development Programme, said that the total cost of the project for empowering women reached up to 75 million Sudanese pounds aimed at 750 beneficiaries, noting that the governor of the Central Bank of Sudan supplied 10 million pounds to be distributed to ten states in the first phase.

He added that the overall program is aimed at enhancing women's contribution to sustainable development with regard to education, health, environment, human rights, political participation and economic empowerment; in addition to peace and conflict resolution.

Nadra Mustafa, Director of the state's Department of Women and Family, lauded efforts by the ministry of finance and partners to empower the rural women, adding that the three-day training course covered various areas relating to micro finance, its purpose, projects, ways of funding and the Islamic formula for funding and guarantees.