The Centre for Gender, Women, and Children in Sustainable Development (CGWCSD) has launched an initiative aimed at preventing and responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH) in project host communities across Osun State.
The project is in collaboration with the Osun State Government and the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
The Executive Director of CGWCSD, Professor Olabisi Aina, while speaking with Tribune, explained that the project aims to enlighten people in rural areas on how to avoid becoming victims of Gender-Based Violence.
Aina stated that the project, sponsored by the World Bank, focuses on constructing roads in rural areas, adding that CGWCSD will be working with all stakeholders to ensure that the construction does not expose vulnerable individuals to any risk.
According to her, people in rural areas will gain more opportunities through the construction, emphasising that the centre’s objective is to ensure that women and young girls in the communities where the construction will take place do not fall victim to sexual harassment by construction workers.
She said, “This intervention ensures that development activities do not unintentionally expose vulnerable individuals to risk. It is centred on survivor care, public awareness, and building stronger institutional mechanisms to protect community members, especially women, girls, and persons with disabilities.
“It is a project sponsored by the World Bank. The rural access initiative is actually about road construction. With this project, contractors and those involved in construction work will be opening up our rural sites, and by doing so, people living in rural areas will be more exposed, creating opportunities for local traders.
“We are to ensure that the road construction does not cause any harm to anyone. So, we are engaging with local communities to make them aware that, even though they might be excited about the road construction, they should also understand the risks involved. We do not want to deal with any issues after the construction, so we would like to take all necessary steps to ensure there is zero Gender-Based Violence after the construction.
“Apart from the benefits of these road constructions, they will also help us educate our children and reinforce the importance of addressing GBV. We are not carrying out this initiative alone but in partnership with the state Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders who deal with GBV.”
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