Two Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) on Wednesday in Abuja tasked parents on the need to teach their children sex education to help curb cases of Sexual and Gender Base Violence (SGBV).
The NGOs are: Center for Peace Advocacy and Sustainable Development (CEPASD), an advocate against GBV extremism, peace building society and Roost Foundation, a counter trafficking campaigner, child abuse and GBV.
The NGOs made the call at a sensitisation programme for students of Government Science Secondary School, Pyakasa, Maitama, Abuja.
The Executive Director of Roost Foundation, Mrs Julie Okah-Donli, said students should be taught about sex going by the rising cases of SGBV in Nigeria and all over the world.
Okah-Donli, also Chairman, United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for victims of trafficking, said there was need for awareness to be created to enable the teenagers defend themselves in situations of sexual violence or report the cases to their parents.
The UN scribe, a one-time Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), said SGBV had become a pandemic and an epidemic that needed to be address right from the parents.
“That is why we are having this awareness from Junior Secondary School (JSS) to Senior Secondary School (SSS), everyone must be aware; they must know what SGBV is all about.
“I have talked to these children in a language they understand; I have to make them know that nobody has the right to touch their bodies.
“And in event that someone touches their body, they need to know what to do; I want to encourage parents to be part of this sex education for their children.
“Most of these parents shy away, feeling as if they cannot talk to their children about sex education, and allow their children to get into trouble, parents can help them to fill in this gap,” she stressed.
Okah-Donli also advocated for a special court for SGBV cases, noting that it would help to reduce the work load on the conventional courts, and also speed up trials of SGBV cases.
Mr Igweshi Augustine, the Executive Director, CEPASD, stated that the organisation was out to teach teenagers STEAM method to help guard themselves in addressing and eliminating SGBV issues in society.
He described STEAM as the application of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics in fighting SGBV, which is quite different from the traditional way of using chalk to write on the board for the students.
“The essence of STEAM is to guide them on what to do, using this to represent statistically how SGBV is perpetrated in the society.
“These children are going to do a lot of artistic materials pertaining to SGBV in the society, we have five weeks programme to sensitise them; they are going to understand how SGBV can be prevented.
“This is going to enable them understand defense mechanism,” he said.
He added that the STEAM approach would enable the students to reason so much when confronted with SGBV issues.
The Principal, Mr Isa-Usman Okuru, appreciated the organisers of the programme, reiterating the call on parents to teach their children sex education.
Some of the students who spoke with newsmen, Miss Oliver Pamida and Master Divine Effiong, said the learnt a lot about SGBV.
They both said they learnt not to be silent when facing SGBV and other vices like child molestation, sodomy, rape and others. (NAN)
