…Says stakeholders should be trained on handling of children-related cases
By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
A Non Governmental Organization, Leadership Initiative For Youth Empowerment,(LIFE), has called for stronger collaboration, intensify campaign and advocacy towards addressing the problem of Gender Base Violence (GBV) against ,girls and vulnerable children in the society.
The Project/ Programme Director of the group, Ogechi Jessica Stephens stressed the need to address the various forms of GBV against children through equity and social justice,at a press briefing held in Lagos, recently.
“We believe a world without violence against children is possible.The goal of LIFE is to strengthen the protection of boys and girls from abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other forms of violence.
“Violence against children is a critical concern for the most vulnerable girls and boys everywhere. Children who experience violence are often left with long-lasting negative social, emotional, mental, physical and spiritual consequences.
Jessica -Stephens said: ” we focus on preventing violence against children from happening in the first place, responding to violence when it does occur, and restoring children who have been affected to a state of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
“We use a systems approach to address root causes of violence against girls and boys, by empowering key actors to work together to strengthen a protective environment that cares for and supports all children, especially the most vulnerable girls and boys but we focus more on girls.
“Abuse in all its forms are a daily reality for many Nigerian children and only a fraction ever receive help. But as a group we have been able to do advocacy in Alimosho and Oshodi/ Isolo local government area of Lagos State.
“The NGO has been in existence since 2012 and was co-founded by Mrs. Abiodun Rufus Omego. Since inception we have promoted equity and development amongst youth in Nigeria with the purpose of improving the lives of young people and also supporting vulnerable females.
“Moreso,to create a society where all rights exist and to empower youths, girls, other vulnerable females with human rights,sexual rights, and economic empowerment. To also build leadership skills through sensitization, advocacy, innovation,wellness creation, and research. To reduce the incidence of sexual abuse and GBV among vulnerable young girls and women through increased access to human and legal rights.
Jessica- Steven, noted that LIFE is a crisis response centre that resolve issues such as sexual and reproductive health challenges like HIV and tuberculosis through capacity building and employing professional psychologists to handle the emotions of victims.
“Meanwhile, part of the crusade for community intervention that promote equity and development amongst the youths since 2012, various sensitization programmes involving the police, community leaders, and market women in Oshodi Isolo and Alimosho environs have been recorded.
“The African Women Development Fund, collaborated with LIFE, in 2016, to support
the community structures for health services in Oshodi Isolo, resulting in a 30% increase in S.T.I. treatments.
” A year later,LIFE was funded by ‘Girl Generation’ in order to tackle and eliminate traditional practice of Female Gender Mutilation through advocacy and engagement with 400 community leaders. The project covered Oshodi Isolo for 10 months.
“Also, in 2018, LIFE got funded to develop a pathway for several GBV survivors; however, COVID struck in 2020 and affected most of this project as there were more cases of GBV during COVID.
“The year 2021, LIFE got support from AWDF to address the needs of women who were experiencing intersectional violence. A three-year grant was secured from 2023–2025 to that effect. The focus is to champion the rights of the vulnerable community, Jessica- Stephens noted.
Furthermore, the group visited the office of the Minister of Education and given directives to sensitise schools around Oshodi Isolo. She said five government schools have been visited so far.
“Additionally, LIFE has successfully handled a total of 63 GBV cases, sensitising 8400 people between 2021 and 2023. Commends the Lagos State Government for tackling gender-based violence.
“On the part of religious leaders this includes church and mosque clerics who are partners and have increasingly sensitised members on the need to report GBV cases, she added.
“Currently, the group would be working on a 32- month project funded by African Women Development Fund to enhance amplifying Voices of Female Survivors for Effective Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area, Lagos, Nigeria.
“The project’s overall goal is to improve protection from sexual and gender-based violence for young girls and women through the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP) 2015 Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The project trains community advocates drawn from existing community groups and local institutions to raise awareness on the provisions of the law for protection from rape, female genital mutilation, domestic violence, and female trafficking among grassroot communities in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area.
Basically,the project will impact the relationship between community members, the police and key government agencies that work in the field of gender-based violence.
“They will work in a local government area to empower beneficiaries with specific understanding of the legal requirements and reporting procedures to guarantee that communities take a more active role in reporting incidents of sexual and gender-based violence to the police and act as change agents in their local communities.
The project funded by AWDF will provide training for 80 community champions who will return to their communities and conduct knowledge transfer sessions to reach 8000 community members within four months in Oshodi-Isolo LGA.
LIFE will also conduct sustained advocacy and engagement activities with the Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police to improve the support provided for survivors seeking justice. LIFE will produce and disseminate 5000 copies of the law.
“In addition, the group has successfully conducted campaigns,visited key stakeholders in the Ministry of Justice, Local Government Officials, the Nigeria Police in Ijeshatedo police station, Itire police station, Isolo police station among others.