By Philip Yatai

The Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI), an NGO, on Monday mobilised community leaders and influencers in Ungwan Dosa, Kaduna North Local Government Area of Kaduna State to end the menace of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the community.

The mobilisation was under the NGO’s “Our Safe Spaces” project (OSS), a three-year project, 2019 -2022 being funded by the United Nations Trust Fund in Kaduna North and Chikun Local Government Areas of the state.

The Focal Person of the project, Ms Bilkisu Ali Gwabin, said that the mobilisation of traditional leaders, youth leaders, security personnel and other influencers was to strengthen community participation in curbing GBV.

Gwabin said that the project was helping to tackle GBV among women and girls, displaced persons, minority groups and other vulnerable groups in Ungwan Dosa and Ungwan Romi communities.

She added that the project was also to improve the prevention and response to violence against women and girls.

She said that the mobilisation was part of sustainability strategies for the community members to take the lead in curbing GBV in their various community.

“We hope that at the end of the day, the women are empowered to be self-reliant and break the silence on GBV, assist one another and ensure that GBV cases are not kept under the carpet.

“We are hoping that the beneficiaries of the project will encourage women within their circle and communities to speak out as well.

“They are already encouraging people to speak out and following up to ensure that justice is served to the survivors. We want them to do more.

She added that project was also empowering the women to be financially independent, which was why EWEI supported the women to open cooperatives to help boost their businesses.

Also speaking, the Programme Officer, Gender, Mr Mendie Jeremiah said the activity was also organised to enlist the support of community leaders and influencers in curbing GBV.

“We are here for the Ungwan Dosa women. We want to see how we can get community support and commit to ending violence against women and girls in the area.

“We want the stakeholders to come up with a form of commitment and a formal declaration on the steps they will take to address GBV,” he said.  

Jeremiah said that the commitment, which would be called “the Ungwan Dosa Declaration to End Violence Against Women and Girls” would serve as a document to engage more women and girls in the community.

One of women beneficiaries, Ramatu Ishaq said the project has empower women in the community with sources of livelihood and help them to know their rights and how to seek redress when such right was abused.

“Our Safe Spaces project is already transforming our lives. It has empowered us financially by strengthening our businesses and raise our consciousness against GBV and how to speak out to get justice.

Another beneficiary, Hafsat Mikaili said that most women do not what to do when they are violated on account of their gender, “But now we know that it is within our right to report GBV cases to get help.”

“This is a big transformation for us. Now we are not only reporting, but demanding for justice,” she said.