The Country Director of Ipas, Mr Lucky Palmer, on Monday promised to partner with the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) Nigeria to remove all forms of barriers affecting women.
Palmer made the promise when the newly elected President of NCWS, Hajiya Lami Lau, led a delegation on a visit to Ipas office in Abuja.
Ipas is an international, non-governmental organisation that increases access to safe abortions and contraception.
While congratulating the new executive, Palmer pledged commitment to work with NCWS, adding that Ipas was all about rights of women.
According to him, most women lack economic empowerment, Ipas seeks to remove all economic, health and social barriers affecting or limiting women in collaboration with NCWS.
“Ipas will work to ensure that no woman dies from child birth complications, though COVID-19 affected our funding but we will be ready to renew our partnership with NCWS.
“To this effect, we will assign one of our staff to liaise with NCWS programme officer to see possible areas to collaborate and develop a Memorandum of Understanding to drive the programmes,’’ he said.
On the issue of abortion, Palmer said that the law does not permitted abortion, adding that a lot of women are dying as a result of unsafe abortion.
He said Ipas advocated safe abortion services but reiterated the fact that family planning was key.
Earlier, Lau said that Ipas and NCWS began partnership in 2002, adding that with Ipas intervention, the council received several grants to sponsor advocacy and sensitisation programmes on women`s reproductive health and rights campaigns.
“We are not ignorant of the trainings offered to our previous national officers and members of staff of NCWS in various areas.
“We are here to strengthen the relationship between Ipas and NCWS and seek other ways of collaboration in line with your mandate,’’ she said.
Lau urged the Ipas country director to consider the council in trainings, advocacies and programmes to further strengthen the partnership capacity.