▁actions ▁towards ▁causes ▁favor ing ▁rural ▁women . ▁When ▁the ▁project ▁started , ▁the ▁object ives ▁were ▁to ▁reduce ▁mat ernal ▁and ▁child ▁mort ality ▁rate ▁by ▁increasing ▁basic ▁health care ▁facilities ▁for ▁women , ▁provide ▁income - gener ating ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁c ott age ▁indust ries , ▁integrate ▁rural ▁women ▁into ▁national ▁development ▁plans ▁and ▁develop ▁educational ▁training ▁for ▁women . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁programme ▁prov oked ▁criticism ▁because ▁funds ▁allocated ▁to ▁many ▁projects ▁were ▁un account ed ▁for ▁largely ▁because ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁budget ary ▁allocation ▁to ▁fund ▁B LP . ▁Access ▁to ▁government ▁funds ▁by ▁a ▁first ▁lady ▁was ▁challeng ed ▁as ▁un const itution al ▁and ▁some ▁critics ▁view ▁the ▁project ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁to ▁increase ▁the ▁person ality ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁lady . ▁ ▁The ▁Program me ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁Better ▁Life , ▁Mary am ▁Bab ang ida ▁held ▁consult ations ▁with ▁various ▁st ake hold ers ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Director ate ▁for ▁Food ▁and ▁R ural ▁In frastr ucture ▁and ▁women ▁organizations ▁about ▁economic ▁and ▁social ▁constraints ▁affect ing ▁rural ▁women . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁she ▁visited ▁two ▁villages ▁close ▁to ▁Lag os , ▁Ig b olog un ▁and ▁Il ado - O do . ▁The ▁villages ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁clean ▁water ▁and ▁power ▁distribution ▁infrastr ucture . ▁The ▁visit ▁confirmed ▁her ▁understanding ▁that ▁more ▁actions ▁should ▁be ▁directed ▁towards ▁rural ▁development . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁a ▁work shop ▁on ▁the ▁role