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IWOGRA closes out implementation of SLOC-VAWG

Anthonia Duru

In order to officially close implementation of the three years Strengthening the Capacities of Local Women’s Right Organisations to Combat Violence Against Women and Girls (SLOC-VAWG) project, the Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA) a non-governmental, non-profit women and girls’ right organisation that works towards the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria with support from ActionAid Nigeria and funding from Ford Foundation, held the project’s close-out meeting/presentation of the project’s achievements and lessons learnt.

The meeting held in commemoration of International Women’s Day  had in attendance traditional leaders and cabinet members of the project communities; Jikwoyi, Chika and Dutse-Pe communities in FCT, representatives of the three communities’ members including members of the Violence Against Women and Girls Community Response Teams (VAWG-CRT), representative of ActionAid Nigeria, the Director and representatives of Catherina International Academy, representatives of different Civil Society Organizations, former staff of IWOGRA, well-wishers and the IWOGRA team.

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Executive Director of IWOGRA, Nkechi Obiagbaoso-Udegbunam stated that the project focuses on addressing oppressive harmful sociocultural norms and practices that exacerbates violence against women and girls through attitudinal change programming.

In her remarks, the representative of ActionAid Nigeria, Maria Effiwatt, SLOC-VAWG Program Officer commended IWOGRA for the work they have been doing in the communities. She thanked the communities’ leaders and members for their support, commitment and dedication to IWOGRA and the SLOC-VAWG project and expressed how impressed ActionAid Nigeria and Ford Foundation have been as sponsors of the SLOC-VAWG project.

While delivering goodwill messages, His Royal Highness, Istifanus .C. Shegaje, the Traditional Ruler, Chika community commended IWOGRA for strengthening and building the capacity of his community members, as before the commencement of the project, the community had a lot of issues which were difficult to address. The project sensitized the community members on addressing various forms of violence against women and girls and they have been able to establish rules and policies that has led to the reduction of violence against women and girls in Chika community. He thanked the sponsors of the SLOC-VAWG project, congratulated IWOGRA for its completion and prayed for more grants for IWOGRA to carry out more projects in the communities.

His Royal Highness, Bawa .S. Jetta, the Traditional Ruler, Jikwoyi community, stated that the project came into the community at the right time when there were a lot of violence against women and girls in the community especially in marriages as a lot of the community members lacked basic knowledge on how to treat women. The project was able to sensitize the community members and was able to reduce the level of VAWG in the community as compared to the past.

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Through this project, men in his community have been able to learn how to value and treat their women and girls rightly. The project has also enabled women undergoing violence in their home to speak up and fight for their rights. He commended IWOGRA for a work well done and promised that he will ensure that what they have started in his community will not die but will continue to strive.

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Speaking in the meeting, His Royal Highness, Chief Shawo .Y. James, the Traditional Ruler, Dutse-Pe community recounted his first encounter with IWOGRA barely 3 years into his rule. He stated that violence against women and girls has been a great concern for him since ascending the throne and when IWOGRA came with the project, he was quick to accept it as he saw the project as an avenue to achieve his concern.

He commended IWOGRA for the works done in his community in combating violence against women and girls and as a result of the project activities, he was able to establish a rule that ‘if a girl drops out of school because of pregnancy, the boy responsible if schooling also drops out of school’ as unintended pregnancy was a big problem in the community in the past but presently it has reduced to the barest minimum. The trainings of the program also prompted him to establish rules and policies that helps in curtailing violence against women and girls in the community. He further commended IWOGRA for all they have done for his community members.

Mrs. Ibiyemi Sonoiki, Director, Catherina International Academy, Dutse Alhaji, also commended IWOGRA for all they did in her school through the SLOC-VAWG project. She further stated that the project has really impacted on the school and wished the project did not end. She stated that in order to create a balance, the school had to establish girls’ club and boys’ club where students are being groomed to protect girls, not violate girls and serve as change agents in the fight on violence against women and girls. She thanked the sponsors of the project and prayed for more grants for IWOGRA to implement more projects.

Other community members, school students and representatives of civil society organizations also commended IWOGRA for a work well done as the project made a lot of impact in the communities and in the reduction of violence against women and girls.

Through IWOGRA’s interventions, among many others, the project recorded increased knowledge on addressing violence against women and girls in school environments and outside, the establishment of the first VAWG-CRT in the three communities, revival of existing community bye-law to prohibit various forms of violence against women and girls and the people made aware of it, establishment of violence against women and girls’ court in the Dutse-Pe community and a Committee set up for the enforcement of the decisions of the community court, and establishment of a bye-law to prohibit teenage pregnancy in Dutse-Pe community and reduce cases of teenage pregnancies/forced marriages.

 

 

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