Gender and Development Action (GADA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to gender equity and pursuit of sustainable development and social justice in Nigeria. Our work promotes greater understanding and proactive responses to gender and development issues through research, information documentation and dissemination, training, consultation, dialogue, advocacy and mobilization. GADA works to realize her vision of an equitable society in which the values and aspirations of men and women can be fully realized through the following organizational goals:
- To promote gender equity, equality and women empowerment in Nigeria
- To influence policy-making and encourage partnerships which work for gender response and people- centered development.
- To facilitate and foster alliance which promote equitable and sustainable development in Nigeria.
GADA was started in 1994 and has been able to expand its organizational base to 4 offices in Nigeria: Calabar- Cross River State, Port Harcourt- River State, Lagos and Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. With over a decade of its existence and with a long institutional base, GADA’s work has targeted policy makers, categories of marginalized persons (that often include women) and those poorly represented in decision making in Nigeria. |
Over the years, GADA has developed a cutting edge expertise, working with a wide range of local and international partners to implement actions around social, economic, cultural and political rights of Nigerian citizens. GADA has become a catalyst for mobilizing groups and allies linking their popular demands to policy making enclaves and negotiating for appropriate change.
GADA’s work has centered in building partnerships and developing individual and organizational capacities towards providing quality service for the people.
GADA’s Port Harcourt office whose focus has been on Livelihoods and Security Initiatives in the Niger Delta has carried out numerous projects with support from several donor agencies. Currently GADA is the lead agency for the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs (FMWA) on its Women’s Funds for Economic Empowerment Project (WOFEE). A Micro Finance scheme was set up to assist rural women grow their business.
GADA Port Harcourt is also anchoring the FMWA’s Political Empowerment Project in the South – South. The Project is meant to mentor women to become interested and take part in democratic processes.GADA has also collaborated with several Elections monitoring Agencies such as the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and IFES in monitoring elections across the South-South Political zone of Nigeria.
GADA has also participated in a project “Challenging Patriarchy” funded by Action Aid in Ogba/ Egbema/ Ndoni Local Government Area which was aimed at speaking up against dehumanizing practices and indignities women continue to suffer.
In the area of Conflict Resolution and Peace Building, GADA carried out extensive activities in several Communities in the Niger Delta. In Okirika, GADA Peace Building effort was funded by IDASA (Institute for Democracy in South Africa) and it involved women in faith based groups to carry out intervention programmes to address conflicts within their community. Women were trained on EWS (Early Warning Signals) / Preventive Intervention and how to engage effectively using the process as Peace Arbiters.
| GADA Port Harcourt also led other Civil Society Groups on the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP/ Stand up and Speak out Against Poverty Campaign on the 16th and 17th of October observed as the World’s day Against Poverty.
The campaign is an alliance of over 700 CSOs across sectoral interest working towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and eradicating poverty.
As part of Government’s effort to partner with Civil Society Groups in ensuring free, fair and credible elections, CSO groups were nominated including GADA to carry out series of voter/ Civic Education trainings in rural communities in Rivers State.
The involvement of civil Society was to ensure non-partisanship in the delivery process. The Voter/ Civic Education trainings provided Awareness/ sensitization on voting rights and also promoted citizen participation in governance.
GADA worked in 6 rural riverine communities in Akuku-Toru LGA of Rivers State. At the end of the trainings, it was widely reported by the Election Officials and monitors that electoral fraud was minimized during the State, Local Council Elections. |
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GADA Port Harcourt is also currently partnering with Stake Holder Democracy Network (SDN) on two main projects Local Action for Community Empowerment (LACE) and Groundwork: Making Rights Real. The LACE Project is geared towards fostering sustainable peace and development at the grass root level using Advocacy Skills while the Groundwork project is aimed at improving understanding and documentation of human rights in the Niger Delta by civil society actors and to foster grassroots network with international support that reinforces the application of human rights in daily life.
See Staff Profile... |
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Nkoyo Toyo -
GADA's Founder &
First Executive Director
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