General News
WOMEN’s Rights and Health Project, (WRAHP), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), trained 20 female E-hailing drivers on tackling of gender-based violence, in Lagos, on Tuesday.
Bose Ironsi, Executive Director, WRAHP, isaid that women, every day, break stereotypic barriers in male-dominated fields, and this has exposed them to different forms of abuse.
Ironsi said that a good number of Ladies on Wheels Association of Nigeria (LOWAN) members experienced spousal and non-partner sexual and physical abuse before they joined the association.
She said a larger number of them reported having experienced sexual and gender-based violence in the line of duty.
Ironsi said that perpetrators include male passengers, road users, members of road transport associations and bus conductors.
She said that the women also attest to providing transportation services to a few females who reported to have suffered physical and sexual abuse on their trips.
The women, according to her, said they were clueless on how to address the situations or to console such people.
She said that WRAHP, managers of Ireti Resource Centre, with the support of ActionAid Nigeria and Global Affairs Canada, was working to intervene in the situation.
Ironsi said that the female E-hailing drivers were being mobilised to learn about the law, support reporting and enable survivors to access justice.
“This training is part of our efforts to reduce cases of sexual and gender-based violence against female E-hailing drivers, women and girls, as well as strengthen their capacity to report cases of sexual and gender-based violence.
“The focus of this training is to enhance increased access to the Lagos State Protection against Domestic Violence Law and Directory of Gender-Based Violence Response Service Providers to women and girls in Lagos state through members of LOWAN,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training was funded by Global Affairs Canada through ActionAid Nigeria in partnership with WRAHP.
Ms Nkechi-Toluwani Abiola, President, LOWAN, Lagos branch, said that members of the association experienced verbal abuse, body shaming, molestation from the opposite gender, discrimination and segregation on daily basis.
Abiola said that these abuses come from riders, male partners and members of the public.
She said that once you know something, you would be able to solve problems.
Abiola said that LOWAN members were quiet because they didn’t know there were corporate bodies and NGOs that could help get justice.
She said that the training would make them to reach out henceforth, and WRAHP would help them psychologically, apart from getting justice.
According to her, the members trained will retrain others on how to get justice and reach out. (NAN)
A.I
Tags: Bose Ironsi LOWAN Ms Nkechi-Toluwani Abiola WRAHP
