The Executive Director of CHHELD, Dandyson Harry Dandyson was a guest in the Civic Action in Nigeria radio program, a program organized by the British council EU ACT on Nigeria info (92.3) Port Harcourt on the 6th day of October, 2022. The focus of the discussion was on Gender and Social Inclusion.
Mr. Dandyson Harry Dandyson highlighted the thematic areas carried out by (CHHELD) such as Human Rights, Healthcare, Democracy and Rule of law, Ethnic religious Harmony, Poverty alleviation and Livelihood development. He went on the discussion with focus on gender and social inclusion where he said all strata of the society should be included in the planning as a government, that is to say the disabled, non-indigene, alien, even the high class should also be included in the policies because in one way or the other they are contributing to that society. Efforts for inclusion in the society should be done purposefully and deliberately. He also stated that Gender and Social Inclusion does not involve only the women but every strata in the society.
As regards the contributions made by the EU-ACT program, he advised the government to adopt it because it is a program that has made sure that every group, representative in the civil society sector has been carried along. He stated that the EU-ACT program has carried out so many capacity-building program for CSOs in targeted states of the country, and these CSOs now have the G&SI policy, and not just having the policy but practicing it.
Mr. Dandyson Harry Dandyson further stated how the G&SI policy has been effective in CHHELD where he currently serves as the Executive Director. After the EU-ACT training on G&SI, CHHELD made sure that there is equal representation of both genders during activities organized by CHHELD. He mentioned the coaching and mentoring session organized by the EU-ACT program for CSOs. The coaching and mentoring session entails professional staff and consultants teaching, guiding and partnering with CSOs to help strengthen their internal administration system and to help them develop organizational structures.
Mr. Dandyson Harry Dandyson recommended that the government should adopt the gender and social inclusion policy by making a deliberate provision in all government programs.