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By Pius Dukor
Civil Society Organisations in the Niger Delta have advocated for more training on Gender Based Violence and the Theory of Change as they also tasked victims to speak out so that perpetrators can be brought to book.
The CSOs made this known during a Theory of Change dissemination workshop put together by Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre and the West African Women Peace building Network with the funding support from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Zainab Mai-Bornu, the Project Lead lamented the series of Gender Based Violence most especially against women in Nigeria. She however expressed hope that the strategic partnership targeted by the new concept will profer solution and will promote greater positive impact if more women are engaged.
She explained that the collaboration between the University and Civil Society Organisations is key in driving faster results especially in capacity building of women through leadership, on economic empowerment, human right education, noting that for women to be emancipated from their current economic position more women will deliberately be supported to occupy key position because many concern of women are not attended to.
Explaining further, Dr. Mai-Bornu stressed that the process that will facilitate change are activities such as advocacy, participatory research and and experience sharing by community from different locality.
On his part, a University don, Prof. Fidelis Allen, of the University of Port Harcourt, who was one of the resource persons, stated that conflict are as a result of economic hardship experienced at homes which promote gender based violence which have negative consequences more on the women folk.
Prof. Allen maintained the cases of kidnapping, cultism, banditary, armed robbery and farmer-herder conflict, inter and intra crisis across the country are of different categories, noting that any time there is violence, the women suffer more, including young girl, children and person with disabilities.
It is important to note that some of the state governments have done some effort by opening some institution with the responsibilities of ensuring peace and security, yet the participation of women is still slow.” More women who are in decision making platforms will definitely bring about positive change,” he said.
“If more women are allowed to participate in peace building process of governance it will promote gender participation” he stated.
Also Speaking, the Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Dr. Emem Okon stated that often times women have been sidelined and ostracized from decision making especially as it concern peace and security, saying that participants should utilize the knowledge acquired from the workshop to promote the activities of women in the region.
Stakeholders at the workshop have earlier identified slow process of accessing justice for victims of gender based violence which is on the increase in communities and households, and call on government agencies to set up a Special Court to try cases of gender based violence, noting that if special court are dedicated to GBV cases it will fast tract and yeild better results and it will give hope to victims to access justice on time.
it could be recalled that the Theories of Change protect is seeking for more collaborative strategy and sustain effort in a quest to end or reduced gender based violence to the minimum as more women seek to join peace building and inclusion in decision making process.
The meeting was attended by CSOs, media, the academia, representative of government agencies amongst. The Theories of Change which is a partnership programme between the Leicester University, UK was represented by Dr. Zainab Mai-Bornu, WANEP- Nigeria was represented by Dr. Bridget Osakwe, Dr. Emem Okon Executive Director of Kebetkache, Prof. Fidelis Allen of University of Port Harcourt are Resource Persons at the event. Others are Dr. Saleh Momale, Kaduna State Peace Commission, Hannatu Ahuwan, Legal Awareness for Nigeria Women among others.
