Gender
By Muhammad Adam
Yola, March 5, 2020 (NAN) No fewer than 35 women groups in Adamawa have been trained on how to reduce Sexual and Gender-Based (SGB) violence in their communities.
Mrs Umma Rimi, of Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), disclosed this during the one-day training organised by Spotlight Initiative, an ambitious UN/EU project on Thursday in Yola.
Rimi, who is the National Project Assistant of Spotlight Initiative, said that the training was implemented by WRAPA and funded by the European Union.
She said “the project is on Sexual and Gender-Based violence and to educate the participants on how to reduce negative social norms against women.
“The participants would also be equipped on how to identify and report sexual and gender violence at the grassroots.”
She further said that the project was being implemented in Adamawa, Sokoto State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
According to her, Nigeria is characterised by gender inequality in most areas of human development and ranks 118 out of 134 countries on the Gender Equality Index.
She expressed concern that Gender Based Violence was widespread and 30 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 years, had reported experiences of sexual abuse in the country.
She noted that a huge number of girls were married off before the age of 18 years, adding that many women and girls also undergo Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a harmful practice that affects the lives of the female gender.
Mr Samuel Yugoro, the WRAPA Coordinator in Adamawa, said that the aim of the capacity training was to impact knowledge on the women groups at the grassroots on how to identify and report any sexual and gender based violence.
Yugoro noted that the rate of sexual and gender based violence in the state was alarming, with 200 rape cases recorded in 2019.
The coordinator said “participants were selected and trained so that they would go back to their communities and educate the people about sexual and gender based violence.
He added that “we hope that from what they learnt during the training, they would be able to sensitise and create more awareness in their communities.” (NAN)
AMA/DOR/HA
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu