From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Bothered by the rise in sexual and gender-based violence and child sexual abuse in the wave of farmer/herder conflicts in Benue State, a non Governmental Organization known as Sexual Offences Awareness and Response (SOAR) Initiative has organised a one day training to address the matter especially among internally displaced persons (IDPs).
SOAR Initiative carried out the training with support and funding from the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTFEVAW), implementing the project; Strengthening Communities–in–Emergencies to Address Sexual Based violence of Adolescence Girls, within the COVID-19 Pandemic Context in Benue, Nigeria.
Participants at the one day introductory training titled: “Creating Safer Schools against Sexual and Gender Violence of Adolescent Girls (SBVAG)” were Schools Authority, Management, Parents of Project schools hosting displaced girls in Benue State and the Benue State Child Protection Network.”
According to the Project, Assistant of SOAR Initiative, Janet Ogoga, the training is a flagship training to provide safer space for adolescent girls in Gbajimba, Guma Local Government Area being one of the project benefiting LGAs.
She stated further that the project aims to equip school authority, management and parents in Gbajimba serving internally displaced adolescent girls who are at risk of sexual violence, due to risk factors made worse by COVID-19 to have improved knowledge about SBVAG as a bunch human right violation; break the culture of silence and create safer school environment against SBVAG.
She explained that the campaign against SBVAG became necessary following the increase in the number of SBVAG in terms of physical, emotional, child neglect, sexual as well as psychological abuse.
“Most recently, children especially girls have become object of sexual abuse especially in schools and the need to build the capacity of school authority, management and parents has become necessary; to curb the ugly menace and create safe spaces for the girl child especially in Gbajimba schools, housing IDPs.”
Njoku Chibuzor, the Project Officer appreciated the participants for attending the training and United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UNTFEVAW) for their support thus far.
The Project Officer who disclosed further that the project will last till May 2024 in Naka and Gbajimba in Gwer West and Guma LGAs respectively, expressed the hope that it would enlighten the vulnerable and survivor groups in the state.
While calling on participants to take full advantage of the opportunity, the Project Officer appreciated the Ministry of Education, Women Affairs and Social Development, Benue State for creating the enabling environment for a smooth take off of the project in the state.
The Lead Facilitator of the training, Joseph Gbagyo, Legal Officer of Civil Organization Research Advocacy and Funding Initiative Development (CORAFID) working with the Team Member of SOAR Initiative including Njoku Chibuzor and Janet Ogoga, took the participants through various topics during the training.
Some of the participants said they have been adequately sensitized by the training even as they expressed their readiness to always speak out against Sexual and Gender Based Violence in their locality.