Women’s rights advocacy training for the Business and Professional Women (BPW) Nigeria

Context

Business and Professional Women (BPW) is a membership organisation of business- and professional women established in 1961. BPW develops the professional and leadership potential of women across all levels, including through advocacy, education, mentoring, networking, skill building, and economic empowerment programmes and projects undertaken around the world. BPW Nigeria is a member of the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW). BPW Nigeria has 21 branches in six states, including the national capital Abuja, with 1500 members in total.

Objective

This intervention intended to implement a rights-based advocacy training for micro and small-scale businesswomen in Nigeria. The training will allow the ‘training of trainers’ that are then able to expand the reach of the intervention independently in the future.

Results

The ICR Facility’s collaboration with BPW Nigeria led to concrete results in strengthening women’s participation in business policy dialogue and advocacy. Through targeted technical assistance, BPW Port Harcourt established a formal partnership with SMEDAN Rivers State, ensuring women entrepreneurs’ voices were included in discussions on improving the local business environment. Ten BPW members took part in multi-stakeholder meetings where they addressed the challenges faced by market women identified during the ICR intervention. BPW Port Harcourt was selected as a partner organization by SMEDAN and has since expanded its advocacy, contributing to national tax reform discussions through the Tax Justice and Governance Platform and university tax clubs.

These outcomes have enhanced BPW’s visibility, credibility, and capacity to influence public policy for women-led MSMEs in Nigeria.

Training for Trainers: Women’s rights advocacy training for women market traders in ABUJA

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Training for Trainers: Women’s rights advocacy training for women market traders in RIVERS STATE

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This intervention took place under ICR Facility project, co-funded by the European Union (EU), the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), together with the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the British Council. The ICR Facility was implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (German Development Cooperation, GIZ), the British Council, Expertise France, and Stichting Nederlandse Ontwikkelingsorganisatie (Netherlands Development Organisation, SNV).