Kano pathways project tackles gender-based violence

The Adolescent Health and Information Projects (AHIP), a youth-focused non-governmental organization, has said that the pathway adopted to combat Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Kano State targets 30 per cent of schools’ population during its weekly awareness creation sessions in selected schools.

Speaking during a sensitization workshop on ‘Pathways to combating GBV in Kano State’, with the theme ‘Integrated Approaches to Strengthening Communities Resilience,’ the Director of AHIP, Hajiya Mairo Bello, stated that the purpose of the six months project is to build capacities of schools and communities to promote GBV prevention, protection and response.

It said that would be done through advocacies, community committees, enhancing community education by male champions through safe spaces for male youth in the communities, among others, and will be held in three local government areas in the state.

There are 270 girls aged 11-18, 270 male youth, 18 teachers that will serve as mentors; 18 male champions, 18 persons from Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), three traditional rulers, six religious leaders, six SBMC members, three Hisbah officials/vigilante officials, as direct beneficiaries of the pathway, among others, she said.

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Hajiya Mairo further stated that these forms of GBV are prominent in both communities and schools, adding that when young people experience Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), the victim’s school performance is negatively affected.

She explained that the adopted pathways to combating GBV in Kano State are a six-month project to be implemented by the Consortium for Combating GBV (C4C-GBV) which comprises four CSOs under the British Council’s EU-ACT programme funded by the European Union (EU).

The four CSOs involved are Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative (IWEI), Adolescent Health and Information Project (AHIP), Coalition Against Rape and Violence (CARAV), and Women and Children Advocacy Network (WOCAN), which have been working over the years on GBV, policy and civic education for inclusive advocacy and wellbeing.