By Efecha Gold
WomenAid Collective (WACOL), a non-governmental and non-profit organization that promotes Gender and Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance, Reproductive Health and Rights, Conflict Resolution, Peace talk, Library/information services, empowerment, and skills building, in collaboration with Fifty-Fifty (50/50) Women’s Group and funding support from Ford Foundation West Africa, organized a one-day stakeholder and Community Outreach/Townhall meeting to advocate the change of Norms and Practices that promote violence against women and girls within the Delta North Senatorial Zone.
The event was organized under the project “Transformation and Translation of Social Norms and Practices in the South-East and South-South States in Nigeria” on Friday, 14th, July 2023, at GoldenLand Hotel, Asaba, the Delta State capital, and was well attended by religious leaders, representatives of Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, Youth groups, representatives of Community Women leaders, Women in politics, MDA’s, Security agencies, Media and invitees.
Speaking at the event, Barrister Akamagrouna Uche, Esq, the Director of social offences, domestic violence, and child’s rights unit at the Ministry of Justice, Asaba, explained the different types of gender-based violence against women and children wherein she categorized them into four.
She also explained the reasons and causes of gender-based violence, its consequences, and strategies ways for ending harmful norms that promote violence against women.
During the interaction and engagement at the meeting, a communique was issued as follows: 1. Increase regular community sensitization and awareness to educate citizens on Gender-Based violence such as rape and domestic violence, especially the consequences/impact on victims/survivors, families, communities, and general societal development and growth.
2. Ensure intensified sensitization and awareness among citizens of the existing Delta State law and zero policy for rape regarding any parents/guardian, security agent, or person that supports advocates for settlement of a rape case out of court will be arrested and charged to court.
3. Work to ensure parents and guardians take up/re-activate the practice of deliberate joint inclusive orientation for male and female children for mutual respect of each other, and also encourage them to urge their children who are victims of rape to speak out.
4. Traditional rulers, religious leaders, and security agents are adequately sensitized to see how they can work hand in hand to change the barbaric norms and practices promoting and enabling violence against women and girls in their different domains/churches and areas of operations.
5. Ensure to use all available platforms/frameworks to continuously build and strengthen the capacity of the citizens for inclusion of more women in leadership and decision-making, improved girl-child education, abolition of harmful traditional practices, and also for female children to share from the family’s property as the Supreme Court has ruled.
