As part of the recent 16 Days of activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), CEE-HOPE Nigeria, an NGO working with vulnerable populations, has held meetings in three communities across Lagos and Abuja to mobilise community members against the scourge.
Every year, between November 25 and December 10, organisations across the world unite to raise awareness on GBV (particularly as it affects women and girls), to galvanise action and to equip people with necessary information towards mitigating what has become a global scourge, for instance, a new report by the United Nations reveals that every 10 seconds a woman is killed somewhere in the world mostly likely by an intimate partner.
CEE-HOPE held the one-day activities each in at Irede riverine community in Lagos for women and community leaders, in Makoko community also in Lagos for community children and youths and at Anka Village in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) mostly for community women.
Each of the three meetings attracted about 100 persons and witnessed presentations by activists, lawyers and other persons as well as intense responses from the community members, narrating experiences or seeking clarifications and counseling.
Besides common GBV such as rape and domestic abuses, some of the speakers also spoke out against cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation which though banned officially by the 2015 Violence Against Prohibition (VAPP) Actof Nigeria, is still prevalent amongst some tribes and is still practised even in metropolitan cities such as Lagos and Abuja.
This is inspite of its deadly impacts on women’s sexuality and the gross dangers it causes to the health of women and girls including death from excessive bleeding during the cutting procedures.
The speakers at the Irede Island meeting included Betty Abah, CEE-HOPE’s Founder and Executive Director, Willie Workma Oga, an artist and activist, Mrs. Funmi Falobi, a journalist and women and children’s rights advocate and Miss Faith Ogbonna, a rape survivor and anti-GBV ambassador who shared her experience.
The Makoko meeting had Ms Abah. Miss Ogbonna and a youth empowerment advocate, Moses Wilson Omaji while the Abuja meeting had Lucky Egbe, a lawyer, Paul Aboh, a development worker, Hajia Abulsalam and Mary Israel.
Ms Abah described the community consultations as very vital. ‘In light of the scary statistics on GBV, there is every need to keep engaging people and providing information on preventative measures, where to report abuses and to ensure that survivors receive the justice they deserve so that perpetrators can be punished and potentials perpetrators can also be deterred.
“Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is also a silent scourge that we need to keep harping on till it becomes history in our country,’ she said.
Tina Edukpo, 29, a resident of Sagbokoji who attended the Irede event expressed her appreciation: “I am so happy to have attended the meeting. Domestic abuse, early marriage and other vices are common around here and the meeting touched on some of them.
“It was very enlightening for me and we hope to see more of these types of events. We want CEE-HOPE to come to Sagbokoji as we need urgent help,” she pleaded.
Christiana Ijisan, a Makoko youth and CEE-HOPE’s volunteer who attended the meeting for youngsters at the CEE-HOPE’s community centre at Makoko in Lagos was equally impressed.
“Iam grateful to CEE-HOPE for this opportunity. The speakers really spoke to our young persons and many of us were touched. The topic on rape will also go a long way to guide us,” she said.
On his part, Paul Possible Aboh, a development worker who helped organised the Abuja event, described the meeting held at Anka Village as unforgettable.
“At the meeting at Anka community, more 100 indigent women were sensitized about issues surrounding gender based violence and ways prevent, ameliorate or eliminate GBV completely,” he said.
He also noted the deep level of poverty and deprivation in the community and called for more engagement with the impoverished community especially around empowerment of women and girls.
CEE-HOPE distributed clothing and other materials for woman at the Irede and Anka meetings.
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