By: Valentine Adese (JP) and Paul Naomi,
A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO),Women’s Rights And Protection Advancement Alternative (WRAPA), supported by Ford Foundation is currently training participants cutting across Six (6) Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Plateau State on how to break the cultural silence over violence against Women and the Girls in the State and Nigeria at large.
The program, which has 25 participants, is expected to discuss and resolve the various forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWNG) according to one of the facilitators, Madam Ruth Abwo, while welcoming participants to the program.
The training is also going to highlight the conditions that reinforces and perpetrate VAWG in society, How Cultural beliefs and Practice, including Myths reinforces rape in the state and the country at large. Another facilitator Mohammed Ibrahim Maipada, a Senior Executive admin and Programmes for WRAPA, emphasized, while presenting the overview and objectives of the workshop.
While presenting and highlighting the challenges that reinforces VAWG in communities, Prof. Benedicta Daudu, who came from Jalingo in Taraba State to deliver her paper said, the culture of silence among citizens have being the main fuel that has reinforced the circle of violence.
She said government must rise to its constitutional responsibilities and of the treaties and conventions it had entered into to protect women and the girl child.
In an interview with Journalists at the venue of the workshop, Prof. Daudu while fielding answers to questions said, “I am Prof. Benedicta Daudu, the issue here is gender based violence against women and girls.
“This issue is not new and it has been on!
“What we expect to get out of this training is that, apart from all these talking and talking, we want to now see action!
“We want to see actions from government, as they draw up laws and policies that would be beneficial to victims of abuse.
“You know the Nigerian Government is a signatory to several treaties and conventions like the African Charter of Men and Woman Rights.
“We therefore expect that, the Government will start to implement these conventions and treaties in trying to ameliorate or curb these incidences of violence against women and the girl child.
“You would recall that the incidences recorded and those not recorded during the Covid-19 lockdown, which resulted in more cases of violence.
“We believe now is the time for Government to look inwards to reduce these violence and that is the purpose why we are here this morning”.
On his part, the Senior Executive Admin and Programmes, Mohammed, while fielding answers said:
“I am Mohammed Ibrahim. I am the senior Executive admin and programmes, Women’s Rights Advancement And Protection Alternative (WRAPA). Today we are in Plateau, under the Ford Foundation Project that is zoned in the country, which involves working with leaders of faith and culture, to demand accountability for violence, survivors and victims of gender based violence within communities.
“We understand the challenges facing our communities especially, rural communities. We are here to sensitize and build the capacity of women groups or leaders of culture and faith and all those gate keepers and give them the opportunities that exist in the communities to enable them report cases of gender violence.
“You will agree with me that, one of the challenges facing gender based violence is the attitude of silence towards accountability for survivors. That is why we are bringing key stakeholders among women groups and others to train them and showcase to them the opportunities therein.
“People are also not aware of these cases and where to report them, hence, this training.
“We have engaged these community leaders in the past and have trained them and built their capacity on how to listen to reports and document same, as they relate to gender based violence.
“We expect the participants to take their knowledge after this training down to the grass roots and other immediate communities.
“In this training, we have selected 25 participants from Riyom, Jos-north, Jos South, Bokkos, Bassa, and Pankshin LGAs of Plateau State.
As at the time of filing this report, the workshop has entered its technical session.
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