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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Women’s Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), with support from UN Women, has taken sensitisation for the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) to the grassroots in Benue State.
WOWICAN Chairperson for Benue State, Evangelist Mrs Rita Ato, who also represented the National Chairperson, Lady Superintendent Elizabeth Akinadewo, led the team to Ainu Community in Oju Local Government Area (LGA) of the state for the sensitisation and advocacy at the weekend.
While introducing the activities, Evangelist Ato said Benue State is lucky to have been selected among other states for the exercise by the faith-based organisation.
She said the advocacy is being done with support from UN Women and sponsored by the Ford Foundation.
“Today is a flag-off, as it is being done in other states. Subsequently, WOWICAN will continue to sensitise the people, in the best ways possible, to prevent gender-based violence,” she said.
“The decision to bring women, men, and young people from religious and traditional institutions reinforces the role they can play in preventing all forms of violence against women.”
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Speaking on the topic “Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls in Nigeria”, facilitator and Coordinator of the Benue Coalition for Human Rights Protection (BCHRP), Jimmie Adzande, enlightened the community on the societal ills working against the female gender.
Adzande stated that “Most cultures, in spite of civilisation, are still cruel to women and girls. Why do men continue to objectify women? The reason is that these men, in spite of their socio-political and economic standings, are still archaic, barbaric, and outdated in their reasoning. Universal Laws couched in Human Rights have overridden cultural beliefs.”
He added that cases of rape, torture, denial of education and inheritance for girls, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, trafficking of girls for prostitution, and more are still common in Benue communities.
Some participants had named ignorance and poverty as some of the reasons girls are abused in Ainu community, especially as it relates to sexual exploitation, forced or underage marriages, and trafficking of girls for labour and prostitution.
However, Adzande stated that poverty or ignorance should not warrant any family to mortgage their children for economic reasons, adding that the world has changed and anyone, not minding their relationship with the victim, will face the full wrath of the law if arrested.
Participants were also encouraged to report cases of abuse against women in society through relevant referral agencies like the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Police, and other institutions for action or direction.
Some participants took turns to appreciate WOWICAN for bringing the advocacy to their doorstep and pledged to implement lessons from the presentation.
The Rt. Rev. Benjamin Egbe Acham, Chief Silas Owuro, and Pastor Comfort Agada all appreciated the opportunity and pledged to continue to spread the message in their respective places for the good of women and girls.
Out of 60 participants, the pre-test result showed that most residents in the communities that make up Ainu had limited knowledge about gender-based violence. Some have been victims but did not know they were violated because of cultural stereotypes.
