The Pankshin Market Women Association is associated with the popular Monday Market in Pankshin LGA of Plateau State. They began in 2016 as an informal group with the aim of reaching out to members on welfare issues, such as supporting members that lost love ones, visiting those who are sick, providing support to each other in terms of soft loans where possible etc.

The association recently mobilised members to start local influencing activities. For example they approached the local government authority to demand basic facilities such as security guards. This was following incessant theft occurrences in the market that became very rampant up till date.

The project Market Women for Tax Dividends is implemented by an informal group of market women in Pankshin, Plateau State. They face the challenge of poor sanitary conditions within the market, lack of water and insecurity which leads to loss of their goods and wares. They pay their tax regularly as, without that, the local authority doesn’t allow them to operate. However, the government has failed to fulfill its own obligation to provide amenities within the market.

In this project, the women are seeking for their voices to be heard and demand that the government fulfill its own side of the social contract. The overall goal of the project is to support the organisation of the market women as a formidable force whose voices can be respected by both state and non-state institutions.

The project is :

a. Strengthening the association to be more organised and position them better to influence
b. Strengthening the advocacy and influencing capacity of the association
c. Facilitating the development of utilities particularly toilet facility within the market