Nsukka, Nigeria – Community Life Project (CLP), a non-governmental organization, has taken an awareness outreach on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to communities in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The event which was held in Nsukka on Saturday, at the palace of HRH Igwe Raphael Eze, was aimed at raising awareness, advocating for workable solutions and inspiring collective action in GBV to foster safer communities for women.
The event was tagged; “The Role of Women Leaders in Nsukka in Building Just and Healthy Families.”
Speaking, Celine Osukwu, the CLP Programme Manager of the GBV project who led the team to the event, emphasised the need for collective community action to eliminate GBV.
Osukwu said that CLP is a national non-profit organisation challenging inequality and advancing social justice by empowering marginalised grassroots communities
She said GBV compromises various forms of violence and discrimination based on gender, including physical, sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse.
“Today, we are having women session on tackling harmful traditional and promoting healthy practices in communities.
“Our target is eliminating gender-based violence, but we have a unique way of approaching it, which is taking the campaign to the grassroots.
“We are focusing on Enugu and Imo States, and in Enugu state, we choose four communities from Nsukka LGA which are Obige Obukpa, Owere obukpa, Ogbagu Obukpa and Ejuona Obukpa communities,” she said.
The manager explained that CLP held the same session with traditional rulers, town union presidents, youths, and women groups in Nsukka, and after today our next programme would be with people with disabilities,
The Programme Manager noted further that CLP was not in the community to institute new laws for them put to empower communities and build a capacity for them to tackle issues concerning them.
“Ours is to give them all the necessary support but they are the ones to tackle their issues, we give them the backing and needed support,” she said.
Also speaking, Prof. Simon Eze, CLP Enugu State Coordinator, said that the GBV project was programmed to let society know that all human beings are equal, and “we should maintain equity, justice and fair play to all with no discrimination.
Eze, who is one of the resource persons in the event, noted that the women leaders were trained on the role they should play in building just and healthy families, which according to him is the foundation of a strong and fair society.
“We trained the women on what healthy family look like, characteristic of just and healthy family.
“Tackling gender-based violence requires everyone’s active involvement and that is why we took our campaign to the communities, so we can ensure that no one suffers in silence as well as ensure that everyone is given sense of belonging.
“CLP remains poised on its drive to fostering inclusive, violence-free society especially in rural communities through sustained efforts, advocacy and community engagement,” he said.
In their comments, some of the participants, commended CLP for introducing the Programme.
Mrs Blessing Chime, from Ejuona Obukpa, commended CLP for bringing the training down to the community and noted that the GBV project will go a long way in stopping most of the obnoxious traditions that are preventing women from inheriting landed property as well as limiting their social status.
Another participant, Mrs Caroline Ezugwu, from Owere Obukpa, said, that the training had awakened their conscience on their rights and privileges as women.
She lamented that women were still suffering segregation and marginalisation in this 21st century 21st century despite numerous campaigns against GBV.
She commended the CLP for its interventions that had mitigated the violence against women and girls in the country urging them to keep it up.
