NGO sensitises stakeholders on ending gender-based violence

Thu, Jan 16, 2020
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Crime

A Kaduna-based NGO, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) on Thursday sensitized relevant stakeholders on prevention and response to gender-based violence in Kaduna State.

The NGO’s Finance and Supplies Officer, Ms Bilkisu Gwabin, said at the opening of the sensitisation in Kaduna that the NGO had begun the implementation of “Our Safe Spaces” project.

Gwabin explained that the project, with support from the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund), was designed to address all forms of gender-based violence.

She said that the project would benefit 450 women, girls, community members and other relevant stakeholders in Ungwan Dosa, Kaduna North and Ungwan Romi, Kaduna South Local Government Areas of the state.

She said that the project, which began in December 2019, would end in November 2022.

She noted the presence of displaced women and girls, indigenous women and survivors of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation, due to recurrent conflicts in the state.

She explained that the project was to support such persons with access to psychosocial support systems, develop reduced vulnerability and benefit from economic empowerment opportunities.

According to her, the goal is to facilitate normalisation of their lives and prevent further occurrences of violence meted on women and young girls in communities.

She said that the sensitisation was necessary to enlightens women, girls and survivors of gender-based violence on the project goals, objectives and what they stand to benefits.

“Our Safe Spaces’’ project was designed to promote beneficiaries’ access to psycho-social support systems and economic empowerment opportunities to facilitate normalisation of their lives.

“The project includes a needs assessment to inform the design of appropriate capacity building activities on counselling and economic empowerment and advocacy.

“There will also be engagement with influencers and decision makers to take specific actions,” she said.

She identified the primary beneficiaries of the project to include 30 internally displaced females, 20 indigenous women from minority ethnic groups and 30 women and girls that survived violence.

She added that the secondary beneficiaries comprise 100 members of community-based groups, 72 government officials, particularly decision makers and policy implementers, and 200 men and boys.

The official said that the project would be implemented in collaboration with Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA).

Others are ProBono Clearing House, and Salama Sexual Assault and Referral Centre (SARC).

Earlier, the Village Head of Ungwan Dosa, Malam Mohammed Idris, thanked EWEI for the support, describing it as crucial to ending gender-based violence in the state.

Idris assured the NGO of full support of community leaders to ensure success of the project. (NAN)
FDY/MST

– Jan. 16, 2020 @ 15:35 GMT |

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