About 30 women selected across the 21 local government areas of Kogi state benefited from Women Skills Empowerment Programme (WOSEP) instituted by Industrial Training Fund (ITF) with the aim of closing the gap in unemployment between the womenfolk and their male counterparts.
While presenting certificates and starter-packs to the beneficiaries at the premises of ITF training centre in Lokoja, the Director General and Chief Executive of the fund, Sir. Joseph Ari said it is on
record that women suffer more unemployment and underemployment compared to men.
Represented by a Deputy Director/Training Manager, ITF headquarters, Mr. John Kayode Ayoade, he said :”If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but when you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”
According to him, the unemployment report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for the fourth quarter of 2016 shows that women suffer an unfair proportion of unemployment and underemployment when compared to men.
“The survey shows that 16.3% of women in the labour force were unemployed, while 24 .2% of women in labour force were underemployed.
“Amongst the men, the survey shows that 12.3% were unemployed, while 17.9% males in the labour force were underemployed.” he stated.
