Outcome NGA_D_2.8

Early and post- COVID socio-economic recovery and resilience of women and girls worst- affected by the pandemic enhanced through access to Social Protection support and other finacial assistance packages.

11,500 , vulnerable women and girls who benefited from cash assistance are utilizing their incomes to cope with the socio-economic impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic, and strengthen the resilience of their households. 7,989 of the targeted beneficiaries who did not previously have bank accounts were able to open bank accounts free of charge, though the project’s collaboration with the UBA Bank. This assistance therefore enhanced financial inclusivity including access to formal financial services for the targeted project beneficiaries. Preliminary evidence suggests that many of the targeted beneficiaries are using the cash assistance to invest in productive activities, including starting /expanding micro enterprises and/or meet the social welfare needs of their families; and have helped some to start saving their incomes. Perceptions among 300 male community and religious leaders about the participation of women in community decision-making, including the local initiatives to prevent and respond to COVID 19 crisis improved in the targeted LGAs as a result of the campaigns conducted by the women-led watch groups and the the accountability plaforms established by the project. By bringing the different faith-based women civil society organizations namely the Federation of Muslim Wemen Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) and the Women’s Wing of the Christian Associations in Nigeria helped to improved religious synergy and inter-faith collaboration to deliver assistance to individual vulnerabkle members of the society irrespective of their religion.The women-led CSO’s conducted 50 awareness and sensitization campaigns with at least two events in each of the tarteged LGAs. In additional, UN Women in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs conducted media events in Abuja to sensitize journalists and other stakeholders on the achievements of the project. These activities included dissemination of messages through both the traditional (radio and TV) and social media channels/platforms. Collaboration with NASSCO to utilize the existing social register of the Government to identify the cash transfer beneficiaries helped to not only demonstrate the validity of the Register but showed potential areas to improve the accuracy of the National Social Register going forward. More than 500 male traditional and religious leaders have begun to promote actions including the development of community by-laws on gender-based violence in more than 20 communities due to advocacy activities led by the women-led grassroots community watch/accountability groups and other project stakeholders, including the Ministry of Women Affairs at the Federal level and in the targeted states, and the women civil society organization- FOMWAN, WOWICAN and the Nigeria Girl Guides Society.Information dissimination through the Women-led Communty Watch Groups were scaled up, with each of the 44 platforms reaching an average of 5300 individuals (80% females) through various grassroots networks.

Early and post- COVID socio-economic recovery and resilience of women and girls worst- affected by the pandemic enhanced through access to Social Protection support and other finacial assistance packages.

During the reporting period, UN Women in collaboration with key stakeholders such as UNDP, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, States Ministries of Women Affairs supported over 10,000 vulnerable women with a cash transfer of 30,000 naira each across 10 states as part of social protection support and financial assistance as a result of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. same number were provided with various health and sanitary materials during the period while over 3 million vulnerable were reached through local electronic media on information on COVID-19 prevention and protection