The Partnership for Advancing Women’s Economic Development, PAWED, anchors by the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), has engaged the Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria (ICEN), Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Nigeria Economic Society (NES), as well as 2 government agencies as partners in promoting Women’s economic development in Nigeria. The 2 agencies are; Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), and the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER)

The objectives of the partnerships are to develop evidence, identify relevant advocacy targets, and organize advocacy to tackle identified policy challenges militating against WEE in Nigeria.

The partnership will also, among other things, achieve the following:

• Study strategic economic development policy or program implemented by a MDA at the national level which is either gender blind and requires advocacy to include a gender component or an existing economic development program with a poorly defined women’s focus which is limited in scope. 
• Conduct the analysis to demonstrate gender blindness or gender under-representation.
• Formulate arguments and messages, which make the case for improving the program through increased focus on women.
• Identify a credible and high-level civil society organizations working  in the field of women’s livelihoods and work with them to plan an advocacy visit to two or three policy advocacy targets at national level to share your findings gaps in the existing program and offer recommends what should be done to improve targeting and coverage of women.
• Conduct the advocacy activity with your partner CSOs, making sure to give interviews to the media after the event. 
• Conduct a follow-up meeting with the coalition of CSOs that you anchored and identify a follow-up activity with a budget for possible funding 

While the partnership with the government agencies is to work together to build their capacities and liaise in identifying ways to ensure inclusion in the interventions and to ensure more women have access to economic opportunities.

Already, the Memorandum of Understanding have been signed with these partners as efforts continue to form sustainable partnerships that aim to strengthen the existing policies and interventions on women’s economic development in Nigeria.

Next steps

• Policy reviews of existing economic development documents are ongoing by some partners
• Coalitions are built to create sustainable, strong, and credible voice at the national and subnational levels to advocate for WEE
• Capacities building on policy advocacy is being planned to strengthen the coalitions working under the PAWED project
• Advocates to high level targets at the Presidency, Federal Ministries, and at sub-national levels are underway
• Special conferences to be held within the year in partnership with some relevant professional associations working in WEE