The USAID-Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) and other USAID funded projects have challenged Gender-Based Violence (GBV) actors on proactive efforts to end Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) in Sokoto state.
The Sokoto State Team Lead of USAID-MCGL Project, Dr Bello Maimaje, made the call at a town hall on sensitization against VAWG on Sunday in Sokoto.
Maimaje, Lead Anchor of the meeting, said members of community groups, civil society organizations and religious bodies were targets of the discussions.
He said the efforts were to fine-tune modalities to sustain achievements recorded so far, as well as commitments in the fight against GBV.
He added that the meeting was part of the 16 Days Activism against GBV where challenges and success stories were exchanged among participants.
According to him, participants also established links to strengthen GBV activities and relationships with relevant agencies.
He said MCGL conducted series of activities to support the fight that strengthened community groups capacity on GBV adding that no fewer than 380 healthcare workers were trained as first line contacts of GBV cases.
Bello explained that others aspects included postpartum family planning, guidance and counselling sessions as well as group sensitization ”Mabuta Abun Koyi” targeting couples on promoting harmonious decision making in relationships.
Other group sessions were ”Sasa” for community leaders engagement aimed at checkmating gender imbalance, ”Choices Voices” for Adolescents cares on identifying GBV issues and reports as well as Sexual and Reproductive Health Right (SRHR) on pregnancy decisions and children upbringing.
Speaking also, Hajiya Habiba Ahmad, the Director Women in the Sokoto State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MWCA), said that the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative Project made impacts in the struggle against GBV in Sokoto State and achievements should be sustained.
Ahmad explained that Response Teams played vital roles in reducing violence against women and girls in rural and urban areas in their efforts to prevent and report cases from the communities.
She said the established One-Stop GBV referral treatment center named Nana Khadija Centre handling treatment and other services for SGBV survivors located in Sokoto metropolis. needed to be maintained too.
She added that efforts ensured the enactment of the Child Protection and Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) laws, which became good instruments in the struggle to stamp out GBV.
The presentations were made by different GBV actors and stakeholders, while interactive sessions, as well as question and answer session featured at the event.
16 Days of Activism is an annual international campaign that runs from Nov. 25, which is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, until Dec. 10, which is Human Rights Day.
The global initiative is aimed at the elimination of Gender-Based Violence by raising awareness about the devastating impact of violence on women and children, and the social fabric of the society.
