YOUTH AND GENDER NETWORK

The Guest of Honour,
Special guests,
The Director of British Council,
Distinguished seminar speakers,
Workshop facilitators,
Honourable Supporters,
Distinguished Participants,
Gentlemen of the Press,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to our organization, Youth & Gender Network's Women Conference / Skills Acquisition Programme.

The theme of this conference, "Empowering and Positioning Women for National Development," is so relevant at this time, when our nation Nigeria is facing several challenges bothering on its development, peace, security and economic growth.

Permit me to state unequivocally, that Youth and Gender Network's Vision statement is to eradicate the vulnerability of Nigerian youths and women to vices, crime, diseases and abuse, whilst our mission statement is to improve the social, emotional and health conditions of youths and women through media, advocacy and seminars.

It is in furtherance of our gender-sensitive goal, that we initiated this women's
conference, specially geared at empowering and building the capacity of women.

We believe that women are the salt of the earth; nation builders, home makers, nurturers, and agents of change. Women are wives, mothers, sisters, friends, colleagues and leaders, who if encouraged and developed, can become catalysts of positive change, influence, reformers, and nation builders.

Permit me to state that some of our N.G.O'S value adding activities include the following: Annual National Youth Summits. (The third in the series of these powerful summits which has attracted youths from all over the nation is scheduled for October 23rd, 2008, by the grace of God.)

Our other activities include:
• Intra - school and community training programme
• Self-Development Seminars
• Focus Group Discussions
• Advocacy Publications (literature, newsletter, etc.)
• Media Columns in national dailies by the YGN Executive Director
• Charity visits to the less privileged, (The most recent of such visits was to    the Spinal Cords injuries Association Lagos).
• Drama for Developemnt and of course, our women conference / skills acquisition programme, for which we are gathered today. Please visit our website www.youthgendernetwork.org for more information.

As an organization, we are also proud beneficiaries of the British Council / World Bank Debate to Action (DTA) programme, a capacity building training on the Millennium Development Goals.

Two youths from our organization have been part of that training since September last year, and I am proud to say that the effect of that training is evident in us as an organization . That informs our passion to communicate the ideals of those goals, particularly goal 3, which says "promote gender equality and empower women", and goal 5, which is "improved maternal health". Interestingly, we have through our various programmes helped in promoting the MDG 6 which is ?Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases.

At this junction, we wish to thank profoundly, the following organizations who have in one way or the other supported today's event. They includes The British Council our hosts at this venue, and in particular the Director MS Sam Harvey. We also appreciate Maggi (Nestle Foods), Macleans (Glaxo Smith Kline), Dugo Signature (the first - class awards, incentives and gifts consulting company). We also thank Human Rights Information Network (Hurinet) for their useful inputs as our collaborator, as well as all our speakers, facilitators, Trustees, Volunteers and friends of YGN.

I must not forget the management and students of French Village International School Badagry, for their partnership in presenting the gender sensitive Drama Nwanyibuife (A woman is to be Reckoned with).

Finally, it is to God Almighty that we owe the greatest thanks because He is the invisible pillar that keeps Youth & Gender Network going, despite so many challenges and the harsh economic environment in which we operate.

Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, we have a full bouquet of activities lined up for today, and I invite you all to sit back, relax, be part of the deliberations and above all, partner with us in this noble responsibility of seeing Nigerian Women empowered, repositioned and inspired to become agents of National Development.

Thank you for your attention and God bless.

Rev. (Mrs.) Anuli Ausbeth-Ajagu
Executive Director, Youth & Gender Network
Website: www.youthgendernetwork.org
E-mail: info@youthgendernetwork.org
Tel: 08050253550