From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Women Aspire Empowerment Initiative (WAEI), a Non-Governmental Organisation, has appealed to the Federal Government, United Nations and relevant stakeholders to step up fundings and investment to further strengthen the fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV).
WAEI in collaboration with Aegis Widows Support Network (AWSN) and other stakeholders made the appeal on Friday, in Abuja at a summit set to establishing grassroot women advocacy and activism movement to stop Violence Against women and girls in the FCT as part of it’s activities to commemorate the 2023, 16 days activism.
Founder AWSN, Bibiana Okereafor, emphasised the need to address the socio-economic demands of survivors of SGBV, by empowering women and girls to reduce the inequality that exists in the society. Advocating for the reduction of gender based violence through the implementation of laws and policies to stop Violence Against Women and Girls(VAWGs).
According to her, “Practical evidence shows that strong and independent women movements are the most important force to drive policy change in GBV. Unfortunately, such women entities and movements that are key drivers of mobilization/recruitment are not being funded.
“Increasing funding sources that are long term in nature to finance Women-focused rights organizations is key to funding solutions and response to VAWGs in Nigeria.
“We are calling on the Federal government through the office of the Women Affairs Minister, Barrister Uju Kennedy to push for the inclusion of Funding Organizations that are involved in the fight to prevent VAWG, as well as the rehabilitation of existing victims/survivors and reduce incidents of future violence.
“We also call on Federal Government organizations, states, international bodies, UN Women and Corporate organizations, high net-worth individuals within and outside Nigeria to give financial support to stop continued VAWG in Nigeria”, she said.
Also speaking, the Founder of WAEI, Ebere Ulelu, questioned the government’s desire to end VAWG. She pointed out the nation’s poor distribution of the amount allocated to the nation through international funding, and the funds earned are not distributed fairly among organizations that strive to end violence against women and girls.
Ulelu demanded that the five gender-based bills that the 9th Assembly rejected be quickly passed into law. In addition, a one-stop facility for victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault, and related issues including health, psychotherapy, and counseling for female survivors of sexual assault should be established.
In his keynote address, Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed said that violence against women and girls is a serious worldwide issue that needs to be addressed with cooperation. This is due to the unfathomable human cost of violence against women and girls, an awful reality that still exists today.
Declaring that “it is an essential step,” he applauded the demand for the creation of a grassroots movement for women’s advocacy and activism. Gender equality in all spheres of life is being advocated by this movement, which seeks to empower women and girls and give them a voice. We can guarantee that the voices of underprivileged women and girls and their unique demands are heard by organizing at the grassroots level.
Ahmed who was represented by the Assistant Director PRD department NCFRMI Comfort Sanni said, “To establish a successful grassroots movement, we need to focus on key areas, awareness and education: This movement should start by raising awareness about violence against women and girls.
“We need to educate communities, both rural and urban, about the various forms of violence and their detrimental effects on individuals and society as a whole. By dispelling and challenging stereotypes, we can change attitudes and foster a culture of respect and gender equality.
“In the FCT, we must take a firm stand against such acts of violence and work towards creating a safer and more inclusive society for everyone. This is the bane of this year’s commemoration,” he said.
Furthermore, public analyst and advocate for women’s and children’s rights Nana Kazaure stresses that violence against women has a serious negative impact on their health, ranking it higher than the combined effects of malaria and car accidents.
Kazaure stated that, “as troubling as these incidents are, they do not evoke in Nigerians the needed empathy to prompt them to action. Instead, a pervasive culture of silence pervades the land as everyone stuck in our traditional “siddon look” or “waka pass mode” reinforced by our see no evil, hear no evil mindset.
“Traditional attitudes of hostility and discrimination against women underpinned by mindless stereotyping, have been exacerbated by violence perpetrated by corporate non-state actors and individuals across all the geopolitical zones of the country with hundreds of thousands of women and their children uprooted from their homes and handed off to Internally Displaced Persons camps where the majority of them become victims of rape of camp officials in order to obtain favour”.