In a bid to eliminate the harmful practices of gender-based violence in Ekiti State, the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria has engaged critical stakeholders in the state.
The gathering, tagged Annual State Experiential Learning and Sharing Forum on Violence against Women and Girls Prevention, brought together stakeholders such as traditional and religious leaders, representatives from the Ministry of Justice, government officials, CSOs, and security agencies, among others, with support from the Ford Foundation.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, FIDA Nigeria Country Vice President/National President, Mrs Eliana Martins, explained that the meeting, which was the grand finale of their previous training, enabled the organisation to document success stories of preventing GBV and areas for improvement in order to totally eliminate the menace from society.
Represented by the Chairperson of FIDA in Ekiti, Ayobami Olowoyo-Richards, she said the engagement helped to empower the participants to actively challenge the traditional, religious, and gender norms contributing to the increasing level of GBV and assuring gender justice in the state.
According to her, “Through these dialogues, we have established a platform for beneficiaries to develop a shared understanding of prevention strategies, enabling them to serve as custodians of knowledge and advocates in addressing Gender Based Violence.
“To maintain the momentum of project implementation and advocate for continued prioritization of women’s rights and in extension gender justice towards curbing incidences of GBV across communities in focal states, FIDA Nigeria plans to conduct an experiential learning & sharing forum on GBV Prevention in local communities.”
The Manager, Programmes and Partnerships at FIDA, Fikih Obaro, acknowledged that there has been a level of growth in the actionable plans by stakeholders on GBV prevention, expressing confidence that Ekiti will be rid of the act by 2027 if the actions are improved upon.
He called for more by-laws, the development of a code of ethics, and the review and harmonisation of GBV laws to ensure the eradication of violence and the breach of the rights of women and girls.
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The Ejimua of Ado-Ekiti, Chief Sola Olanrewaju, who commended FIDA for its commitment and support, said the traditional institution in the community has engaged relevant stakeholders in local communities through awareness, sensitisation, and education in a bid to change the cultural norms encouraging GBV.
On their part, the representatives of religious leaders, Alhaji Hammed Bakare and Gbenga Adeniyi, said religious institutions have been championing the cause in their various worship centres to ensure that Muslim and Christian faithful distanced themselves from the act.
While Bakare urged the youths to desist from drug abuse, which might trigger GBV, Adeniyi urged the state government to collaborate with religious institutions for the enactment of transformational policies which, according to him, would complement the existing laws to eradicate the scourge before 2027.
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