From Okwe Obi, Abuja
An international organization, ActionAid, has ranked Edo, Niger, Adamawa States highest in gender based violence, particularly against women and girls, adding that the social vice was exacerbated by conflicts and COVID-19 pandemic.
Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, disclosed this Tuesday, to commemorate the 16-day of activism and the launch of Women-led Integrated Protection Action Against Based Violence (Wipes-GBV) project, in Abuja.
“The pandemic brought with it a substantial rise in reported cases of gender-based violence with a monthly increase of 149% in 23 States including the northeast.
 
“It is for this reason that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) provided funding to ActionAid Nigeria for the implementation of interventions to project the rights of women and girls from GBV exacerbated by conflicts and COVID-19 in Edo, Niger and Adamawa States in Nigeria. 
 
“These states were selected based on their high records of Gender-Based Violence and insecurity.
 
“AAN will be working with women’s rights organizations and the National Human Rights Commission in these project states to provide critical protection intervention to women and girls who suffer violations,” she said.
 
Obi added that, “Our experience and learning from implementing programmes on women’s rights in Nigeria has shown us that women’s rights organizations are pivotal in achieving gender equality and providing resources to them as well as other state-actors remain pivotal in responding to GBV.
 
“In view of this recognition, the WIPe-GBV Project has chosen to work with women’s rights organization in 3 states to provide the needed critical protection interventions for women and girls .
 
“Through the provision of grants and targeted trainings, the organizations will be enabled to implement survivor-centered protection services to vulnerable some and girls while collaborating with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), to facilitate access to justice for survivors of violence.”