Int’l Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women and the girl-child: Group takes advocacy to Imude community

 

 

Residents of Imude community in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State, on Monday, November 25, got more than what they bargained for when a non-governmental organisation took the community by storm to sensitise residents on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women and the girl-child.

 

For members of the Imude community, the 2024 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women/girl-child was one that marked a turning point in the lives of many of them and fir sure participants at the event would have a loth to thank God for.

It was indeed a day to be remembered for a long time as the residents felt fulfilled while they went to their various homes energised to always protect the rights of women and the girl-child henceforth.

The one-day sensitisation programme was put together by the Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care in collaboration with the Evoca Foundation and the Nommontu Foundation, was also made to be interactive among participants.

The sensitisation programme, which marked the commencement of the 16-days of activism for the advancement of the lot of women and the girl/child witnessed a turnaround in the lives of participants especially the female sex in the community.

The event was held at the Grinder Association Meeting Hall, at Imude areas of Ojo locality, in Lagos State and had as theme: ‘Unite to End Violence Against Women’.

The fairly capacious Grinder Association Meeting Hall, venue of the event, witnessed participants from various artisans such as members of the Grinder Association, hairdressers, fashion designers, school teachers as well as out-of-school girls from the community which made the hall packed full.

According to organisers of the event, it was meant to raise awareness among residents of the community; to advocate for prevention and possibly eradication of violence against the female set and also to suggest ways forward for the propagation of the rights of women and the girl/child in the society.

Mr. Michael Essien, who is Communications Officer of Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care, played a pivotal role in enlightening participants of the motive and importance of the event.

Speaking in prevalent Yoruba language of residents of the community – though managed to interspersed it with some pidgin English – Mr. Essien made the event interractive for participants by sharing his wealth of knowledge in domestic violence. Ge shared a lot of excruciating stories of domestic violence with the participants. The participants were spell-bound as they expressed exasperation of such harrowing narrations from the Facilitator.

The participants were lectured on the causes of domestic violence, effects of such violence and he later asked the participants how violence could be eradicated from the society.

Mr. Essien used the opportunity to share some of the harrowing cases that the group had handled in the past which made participants more at home to sharing their own experiences too. From then on, many of the participants begun to share their domestic violence experiences.

At the end of the event, participants urged the Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care to expand and enlarge its activities to have such programme many more times in the community and not make it a one-off programme. They expressed their happiness towards the group for enlightening and empowering them on ways to avoid and curtail domestic violence that they were constantly confronted with.

Chief Executive Officer of the Bella  Foundation for Child and Maternal Care, Ms Bella Akhagba rounded off the programme by encouraging women and participants to always speak out, if they encountered any form of violence. She urged them to the nearest Police Station or a social worker any such violence around them.

Her words, “We at Bella  Foundation for Child and Maternal Care have taken it as our calling to seek better life for women and the girl-child. This event is in life with global tradition for today when we advocate for the emancipation for a better life for the womenfolk.

“It is sad that there a lot of women and girls suffering domestic violence in this country but who are afraid to speak up about their predicaments. This programme is thus aimed to encourage these people to come out to talk about their predicaments so that other can learn from them and also so their would be a joint mechanism to address this menace.”

During the programme, many participants were rewarded with recharged cards on their mobile phones via a  scheme it called ‘Fastest finger’ in which the winner gets to loaded some amounts of cards for free, albeit in different mobile networks.

That was not all: about 100 booklets of ‘Too Young to Marry’ written in both English and Yoruba Languages as well as booklets on child abuse titled ‘What I Need to Know About Child Abuse’ were distributed for free for the participants.

The sensitisation programme was rounded off with resolve to increase sensitisation scheme for parents, and their wards as well as willing adults aimed to create more awareness on violence and evils in child marriage.
The event also resolved that parents/ Guardians should be closer to their wards so that the latter could have confidence in them at all times.