A group, Rural Women Action Centre (RUWAC) has introduced an electronic based system of reporting gender based violence in South-Eastern Nigeria.
The facilitator of the group, Mrs Nnennaya Eneremadu, made this known while briefing the newsmen on Friday in Owerri.
She said the project was poised to sensitise people in the South-East states on the need to report every gender based violence through the simplified real-time electronic based reporting platforms.
The facilitator noted that all forms of gender based violence have far reaching consequences including mental, sexual and reproductive health problems.
She added that it also limits national poverty reduction and development efforts, while reducing productivity, employment and educational abilities of affected persons.
While calling for a change in policies, cultures and traditions that were gender insensitive, Eneremadu said there was the need to sustain awareness on all forms of gender based violence.
She called on individuals to volunteer to be trained as social educators in order to be equipped to track, report and tackle gender based violence especially against women and girls.
“Everyone has a role to play by sustained awareness on all forms of gender based violence especially since it negatively affects the society.
“We all need to join in advocacy for change in policies, cultures and traditions that are gender insensitive,’’ she said.
She said the group would be engaging the Police, Ministry of Women Affairs, religious institutions, community based groups, traditional rulers and other relevant stakeholders in the region.
Eneremadu expressed hope that the platforms would achieve the desired effect and provide information and support to social educators, survivors and the society as a whole.
The platforms established include a hotline, an email address, a whatsapp group, and two Facebook accounts in addition to the group’s website. (NAN)
UOI/FAT/MST