By Oluyinka Fadare
The Gender Development Initiative (GDI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), on Tuesday said that in five months, it had sensitised over 400 families across two Ogun communities on Gender-Based Violence.
Prof. Olubunmi Ashimolowo, the Executive Director/ Senior Programme Officer of Gender Development Initiative, disclosed this in a progress report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Ashimolowo said that the sensitisation was done in collaboration with another NGO, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), under a Ford Foundation funded project titled: “Solidarity, Accountability, Commitment to Ending Violence against Women and Girls”.
She added that the project, which started in April 2022 to end October 2022, was presently in its fifth month and currently being implemented in Sagamu and Ado-Odo Local Government Areas of Ogun.
“We at GDI and WARDC were very concerned about the increasing cases of gender-based violence being reported across the nation by the media, so we decided to do something about it.
“We started sensitisation at the Association of Community Development Committee Meetings (ACDC), community gatherings, Church programmes, social gatherings and the market place.
“As a result of this, we have noticed a shift in the mindset of both men and women as well as the clearing of misconceptions regarding gender-based violence.
“Also, we have been able to successfully intervene and resolve cases of GBV in eight families in the two communities combined, and provided support to victims,’’ she said.
The executive director disclosed that at each sensitisation, the men were engaged and made aware of how the law frowned at men treating women without respect.
The Community Response Team (CRT) also made the people aware that violence included rape, incest, socio-economic violence, beatings of women and so many others, Ashimolowo explained.
She said that due to the impact made during its programmes, some associations had placed calls to its CRT members requesting that they come to sensitise their members, and also to report people found guilty of GBV.
Ashimolowo said that the ongoing sensitisation exercises, intervention, and support would continue even after the project ended in October.
She told NAN that the meetings are usually well attended by dignitaries in the community, chiefs, security personnel and well-recognised women groups and the communities’ members.
“One of the cases of GBV that was resolved was on the gender of an unborn baby. The pregnant wife complained that her husband usually fought with her and said that he would not accept paternity, if she gave birth to a female and he will only accept the baby if the gender is male.
“The CRT members during their intervention made the man understand how the man determines the sex of a baby and not the woman, and how important both sexes are as children.
“On his part, the man complained that the wife had been neglecting his needs as a man, being the reason he usually fought with her. The CRT was able to resolve these issues and others in the home peacefully.’’
The GDI director disclosed further that it had also been able to resolve cases of incest, adultery, and physical assault.” (NAN)
