By Melvin Ibeh , Maiduguri
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Ambassadors of Dialogue, Climate and Reintegration ( DCR Ambassadors), in collaboration with Every Girl Initiative (EGI), with funding from WPHF/EU Sportlight on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, and with technical support from UN Women in Nigeria, have organised a one-day training for human rights defenders across Borno State, which held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The training participants who were defenders of human rights were drawn across various sectors, including the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC ), the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), FIIDA, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), among others, brainstormed on "Fast Tracking Legal Proceedings and Enhancing Increased Access to Justice on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG ) in Borno State.
Addressing participants, the Executive Director DCR Ambassadors, Ruth Usman, said the training is one of activities lined -up for implementation on the organisation's project titled: "Strengthening Institutional and Multi- Sectoral Capacity to Prevent and Respond to Sexual and Gender - Based Violence ( SGBV ) and Violence Against Women and Girls in Borno State".
She noted that SGBV and VAWG is deeply rooted in gender inequality and often tolerated and condoned in some of the communities, most especially, when it involves intimate partners or close relations.
Represented by Tarhemba Msendoo Grace, Communications/Outreach Manager DCR Ambassadors, the Executive Director, said: "The project is a 24month intervention fully funded by Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF/ EU Spotlight Initiative, with technical support from UN Women in Nigeria and implemented across five targeted local government areas of Borno State, comprising Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere, Konduga, Gwoza and Monguno.
"This training for human rights defenders is one of those timely strategies that will assist in changing the gender narratives in Northeast Nigeria. The role of human rights defenders in advocating for just polices and laws to protect the vulnerable people cannot be over emphasized.
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| Some of the trained Human Right Defenders in a group photo in Maiduguri |
"So, as we continue to appreciate the efforts of human rights defenders across sectors, local, state and national levels, there is need to support their capacity to ensure better quality of service delivery," she added.
Also speaking at the event, the Program Manager DCR Ambassadors, Mr Richard Inyamkume highlighted the important of the trianing, "human rights defenders are at the forefront of the fight to end violence against women and girls, including children, and it becomes necessary to support their work by enhancing their capacity to be better positioned to advocate for safety of all persons across sectors" he said.
A Clinical psychologist, who was one of the Facilitators in the training workshop, Mr Francis Anzaku Mark, noted that the aspect of sexual and gender based violence is also a pandemic that the world is suffering from, noting that if individuals are properly sensitized and they understand and report abuses of all kinds, SGBV and VAWG will be brought to a minimum.
He added that participants at the workshop were drawn from various sectors who are defenders of human rights by their calling hence, the training will strengthen their capacities in terms of prosecution of perpetrators of abuses, enhance speedy trial of cases, and increase survivors access to justice, including facilitating timely arrest of offenders.
A participant from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Maiduguri office, Ms Zara Haruna Bwala, said with the level of sensitisation and awareness created so far, the culture of silence has been broken as people and victims of SGBV and VAWG cases come out to report crimes against women and girls.
She called for proper implementation of enacted laws on SGBV and VAWG to reduce the effects of such cases on the society.
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