Grantee Name: Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN)

Location: Niger

Project Target: 60 members of Ward Development Committees (WDCs)

Project Summary: This project is designed to strengthen community-level HIV/AIDS response through gender-sensitive training for 60 members of Ward Development Committees (WDCs) across six LGAs in Niger State: Lapai, Paikoro, Wushishi, Borgu, Munya, and Shiroro. The centralized training will take place in Minna and aims to equip WDC members with a deeper understanding of HIV/AIDS, gender equity, and intersectionality.

The training will focus on promoting gender-responsive planning, addressing cultural and gender-based barriers to HIV services, and reducing stigma in community settings. By empowering local leaders with this knowledge, the project seeks to enhance HIV prevention strategies—particularly for women and adolescent girls—and improve community engagement in HIV-related decision-making.

Targeted outcomes include ensuring that at least 70% of WDCs have gender-responsive HIV programming and increasing female representation in HIV-related community decisions to 25% by 2027. The ripple effect of this training is expected to benefit broader community members across the six LGAs, supporting a more inclusive and effective HIV response at the grassroots level.