We will use education, and punitive measures to curb SGVB rampaging- Borno govt

The Borno State government has reiterated its readiness to use education as a tool to fight against Sexual Gender-Base Violence(SGBV) with strong punitive measures while describing the menace as rampant but under-reported in the state.

The Special Adviser to the Governor Banagana Zulum on Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Mario Mandara, disclosed this during the of the distribution of an income generation start-up kit for 50 women Survivors of GBV.

• WHO harps on access to safe water, sanitation
• UK finally designates IPOB as terrorist group, bars members from asylum

She said, “The problem of SGBV is highly under-reported because a lot of families feel ashamed to come out and sometimes when victims of SGBV report it, they become double victims and people criticise and humiliate them.

“So, it is quite rampant but the key is giving women and young people life skills and education so that they would know how to navigate this menace. So also the society needs to set up punitive measures that will severely punish perpetrators so that nobody sees it as attractive to unleash violence on girls or boys.

“Many women are willing to go back to school, we are going to liaise with CATAI that they go back to the school, quite seriously until the people are educated there is a limit to what we can do,” Dr Mairo Mandara said.

For his part, Chief Executive Officer, Centre For Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI), Abubakar Sadiq Muazu, noted that the project aimed at enhancing prevention and response services for child survivors of gender-based violence(GBV), including conflict-related sexual violence and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in northeast known as (Hadin kan Mu karfin Mu).

He said CATAI, in partnership with International Alert with support from UNICEF Nigeria, had flagged off  distribution of income generation start-up kit for 50 women from Galtimari and Fori communities of Jere LGA in Borno state

“The beneficiaries had undergone 3 months of training in various small scale businesses as part of our project titled Hadin Kan Mu Karfin Mu (Our Unity, Our Strength) to enhance prevention and response services for child survivors of gender-based violence, including conflict-related sexual violence.

“The project is also jointly been implemented by some key national partners Grow Strong Foundation and Centre for Social Cohesion, Peace and Empowerment,” Sadiq said.