Hajiya Bilkisu (mni) is a journalist by profession and a political scientist by training. She got a B.Sc in political science from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin. She studied Journalism at the Moscow Institute for Journalism and International Relations and earned an Advanced Diploma in Journalism and International Relations. Her previous work experience include working in the Ministry of Information, Kano, Editor of Sunday Triumph Kano, Editor, New Nigerian Kaduna and Editor, Citizen Magazine Kaduna. Bilkisu is currently a columnist for Daily Trust and Leadership Newspapers
She is a founding member of several NGOs. Among them are Women In Nigeria WIN, Federation pf Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria, the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria FOMWAN, and AdvocacyNigeria where she is the Executive Director.
She is a consultant and trainer in media, gender and also conflict management and peace building. Bilkisu is on the Board of FOMWAN, Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria, (HERFON), ABANTU for Development, Vision Trust Foundation and many others.
Some of her published works include a book on Gender and Reproductive Health and twenty one chapters in published books on a range of subjects such as women, politics, media issues, are Women in Politics (1985), Junk Magazines: Media Sore Thumb (1995), Press Free in the New Nigerian Constitution (1998), Mass Media, Women and Politics (1991) and NGOs and the Development Process in Nigeria (1999).
Hajiya Bilkisu is the recipient of many awards. To date, she has received over ten awards for distinguished service and contribution to the development of women, media and the youth. These include Award of Excellence by the Nigeria Association to Women Journalists and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
POVERTY AND THE FAMILY IN THE THIRD WORLD
The family remains the basic unit of society in the world today. In its modern meaning, the family is that social unit comprising a man, his wife and their children. In most sub-Saharan African countries, the extended family, which is a more inclusive definition of the family, includes uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents and other distant relations. This paper has deliberately chosen to make the family its center-piece for a number of reasons.
Excerpt from: A/S-23/1 8
The Holy See delegation has participated actively in the negotiations leading to this special session of the General Assembly, a session which has raised issues of critical importance to the lives of millions of women worldwide, and which has been evaluating the progress that has been made since the Fourth World Conference on Women.
