An Abuja-based NGO, Talkam Human Rights Advocacy Group trained 72 Nigerians across the 36 states on strategies for combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in their various states.
Talkam is an advocacy pidgin English programme on Cool FM 96.9 and WAZOBIA 99. 5 FM, both in Abuja, every Saturday and Sunday at 5 p.m., championing the course of human rights promotion and combating GBV in the society.
The training, which was held virtually on Friday, had participants from each state of the federation.
The participants were urged to be ambassadors of this advocacy in their various states.
The Convener of the training, Mr Joseph Osuigwe, said that the training was designed to build the capacity of participants and equip them with a wide knowledge of how to report GBV cases.
Osuigwe said that the training was also designed to monitor and refer survivors to the appropriate place where they could get support, as part of the participants’ community project.
He added that “the objective is to foster action against human rights abuses, human trafficking, gender-based violence and child abuse.
“It is also to increase reportage, documentation and responses to human rights abuses using technology tools, including the talkam human rights reporting mobile application.
“It is also to build a sustainable movement of young people in Nigeria against human rights abuses.”
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Mrs Imabong Sanusi, the Executive Director, Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF), who spoke on the causes of GBV, urged the participants to be up and doing to fight the menace.
Another speaker, Mrs Dorothy Njemanze of Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, spoke on identifying and support for victims of GBV and urged the participants to endeavour to put a stop to the menace when they get back to their various states.
Mr Madison Coloney, the acting Counselor for Public Affair, U.S. Embassy Representative in Abuja, said that the talkam programme was one of the local need to fight GBV.
He said that the U.S. Embassy would continue to support the programme to prevent GBV, adding that GBV did not discriminate among its victims as it affected boys and girls as well.
According to him, women and girls are the most vulnerable, and this makes them a subject of victimisation in society.
“It is important to note that in this COVID-19 pandemic, there are rising cases of GBV, and the U.S. Embassy is supporting the fight against the menace because we want the government and societal approach to this.”