Stakeholders join forces against GBV in Benue

After a sensitization training on the dangers of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the state, stakeholders in Benue have agreed to join forces for the eradication of the menace from the area.

The training was organized by the Ministry of Health through its World Bank-supported project, Nigeria COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (CoPREP).

Dooshima Ageh, Programme Consultant, while talking with journalists in Makurdi shortly after a step-down training with traditional rulers and leaders of several communities and organizations in the state, said it has become necessary to engage the stakeholders on GBV, especially the traditional institution, as they are the ones to permit the implementation of the programme at the grassroots.

“The project, CoPREP, was conceived as an intervention when COVID-19 started and we started noticing that cases of GBV were increasing in the state and across the world.

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“So there was the need to have a gender component to the intervention in COVID-19 to address the issues of GBV that were taking place in our communities,” she said.

Ageh explained that cases of GBV continued unabated in the communities despite a lot of awareness on the issue, noting that even as people have become aware and are willing to report their cases, justice had not been served on the reported cases as only two convictions were recorded last year on the number of cases being treated in the state.

She noted that, “But there are psychological consequences,” emphasizing that the danger to women is that GBV has been linked to life fatalities such as death, and longtime life-threatening crises like childbirth or fertility among other silent killers of women who are survivors.

“So the society must not take cases of GBV lightly. It’s a trend we shouldn’t take for granted. It is a problem that everyone in the society must join hands to address.”

Earlier, Acting Director of Women Affairs, Ministry of Women Affairs, Magdalene Andor, urged the stakeholders to take the meeting seriously and contribute meaningfully as the ministry is poised to work with individuals, groups and organizations to nip GBV in the bud.