Coronavirus Pandemic
An NGO, Youths for Peace-Building and Development in Africa (YOUPEDA), on Friday, carried out media awareness on COVID-19 and distributed palliatives to vulnerable women survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage in North Central.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event took place at Ebaa in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the FCT.
The Executive Assistant and Fellow at YOUPEDA, Mr Obi Peter, said that the event was in collaboration with Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage Nigeria Secretariat and Society for the Improvement of Rural People (SIRP).
Peter said “this is to further create awareness in preventing community transmission of COVID-19, address the issue of Gender Based Violence in FCT and cushion the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic in Abuja.”
He added that the organisation also sensitised community members on access to information on prevention of COVID-19, availability of organisations that would respond to GBV cases such as rape, child marriage and other vulnerabilities.
“Also, the issue of available assistance and provision of safety and justice to survivors of child marriage and rape was discussed.
“The women and the girls called on government and CSOs to improve on the poor and lack of such services for vulnerable women and girls.”
According to him, the media awareness will continue to focus on creating online counselling, telephone counselling, increased online/media communication campaigns, creating online chats/peer support groups on Sexual and Gender Based Violence.
The traditional leader of the community and member of MenEngage, North Central, Mr Jonathan Moses, thanked organisers of the event for educating the people on GBV and the ills of early marriage.
A member of the community, Mrs Musa Yunana, said that the media awareness had further educated the women and girls on the dangers of GBV especially rape, and appropriate measures to end all forms of violence against women and girls.
NAN reports that the palliatives distributed included rice, noodles, and safety kits to women and girls in the FCT and Nassarawa State. (NAN)
– Oct. 24 2020 @ 8:39 GMT |
Tags: COVID-19: NGO distribute palliatives to FGM survivors
