Bukola Afeni
As part of measures of raising awareness on the high rate of sexual and gender-based violence in Nigeria, members of the media, Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) and Business Members Organisations (BMOs) participated in a 3 days training program.
The training was organized by USAID-SCALES on sensitive reporting of Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and Child Early and Forced Marriage (CEFM) in Abuja.
The Country Director, of Equal Access International, Maji Peters disclosed that it is important to raise awareness about sexual and gender-based violence among people who are downtrodden in society.
“The training is meant to sensitise the participants to understand the strategies for reporting Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. We want to put an end to the issue of early and forced marriage.
The whole idea is to raise people’s understanding and mobilise a critical mass of the public about the negativity that is happening in society and becoming a norm.
“There is a need to promote people’s rights, the right to integrity, the right to dignity. We are working with media persons and organisations who are working in that field so that we have more people speaking about the issue until we start doing what is right as a nation.
“ I know that for a very long time, the rate of sexual and gender-based violence is on the increase in Abuja. It is quite alarming, and the issue of rape especially around areas of mass atrocities has become very epidemic”, he said.
The Deputy Chief of the Party of Scale Palladium Program, Bose Etokpa, said the issue of sexual and gender-based violence must be nipped in the bud effectively.
” We want everyone that participated in the training to spread the message to the grassroots on how to eliminate negative habits in society. We have set aside funds to ensure that the program is successful.
She urged the members of the media to become advocates that will aid in reducing sexual and gender-based violence in society.
