40 Community observers to monitor SGBV trend in Kaduna

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Worried by the increasing rate of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV) issues due to the lingering insecurity in Kaduna state, forty community members have been initiated into the Mixed Observers’ Team (MOT), so as to help monitor and mitigate the menace.
The immediate past commissioner, Kaduna State Ministry of Human Services and Social Development and Executive Director, Global Initiative for Women and Children (GIWAC), Hajiya Hafsat Babe disclosed this in Kaduna.
According to her the project is a pivotal step towards giving the voiceless in the society a voice.
She explained that marginalized populations within the society often face disproportionate hardships as they are more vulnerable to most of these challenges that we are facing, saying: “Take the example of multidimensional poverty measure, which was defined by the World Bank as an index that measures the percentage of households in a country deprived along three dimensions – monetary poverty, education, and basic infrastructure services – to capture a more complete picture of poverty”.
She expressed hope that the MOT, which consists of selected women, formal and informal security personnel, community leaders, and women’s groups, all united by a shared purpose; to engage with the wider community, collaborate on security referrals for access to justice, and address protection issues for women, especially SGBV victims, will in no measure, begin to address the numerous challenges brought about by the scourge.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Program Officer, Partners West Africa, Nigeria (PWAN), Nkem Okereke the project aims to advance engagement mechanisms and support structures which are inclusive and gender-sensitive, expanding outreach of access to justice services in Northwest Nigeria to provide better safety and protection for women and other marginalized populations; and improve community policing relations.
She added that the project is being implemented in Kaduna and Niger states to create a strong Woman, Peace, and Security agenda in Nigeria that promotes women’s engagement in peacebuilding.
She stressed that the 3-day training is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the MOT members to recognize, prevent, and respond to situations of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as to advocate for and raise awareness of the security issues facing their local community and other marginalized groups.
On his part, the District Head of Kawo, Alhaji Jibrin Magaji stressed that the community has an important role to play in providing victims and survivors of GBV access to justice.
He also noted the need for more awareness, support, education and community engagement to address the problem.