The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) on Tuesday commenced sensitization campaign on Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) targeting women and girls in communities affected by insurgency in Borno.
The campaign, supported by Ford Foundation would run for three years in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.
Speaking at the inauguration of the campaign at Bulumkutu in Maiduguri, CDD Senior Researcher, Mala Mustafa said the awareness program was to encourage victims to speak out and access justice.
“Our major talking point in this sensitization focused on access to justice, breaking cultural barriers of silence which we discover is undermining accountability for perpetrators and access to justice for victims.
“The sensitization is also to rebuild capacity and resilience of communities against stigmatization.
“We are targeting communities that are at risk in GBV and this community is one of them,” Mustafa said.
He explained that the awareness would also enhance access to justice for survivors.
Amina Nur-Alkali, CDD Gender Advisor on GBV, said the women and girls were being educated on the processes to follow in seeking justice as provided under the VAPP Act and the Child-Right Act.
Others who spoke at the occasion included Borno Coordinator of National Human Rights Commission, Jummai Mshelia, representatives of Federation of Female Lawyers and Faith Based Organizations.
