16-days of Activism, should be used to put an end to culture of sexual and gender-based violence, according to CDD

The Centre for Democracy and Development (PDFD) reported that it has worked with over 40 organisations run by women to educate key players about sexual gender-based violence in three northeastern states that are experiencing insurgencies.

During the 2023 16 Days of Activism on Ending All Gender Based Violence Against Women and Girls, which were conducted in Maiduguri on Monday with the topic “UNiTE Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls,” Senior Fellow Researcher CDD, Prof. Mala Mustapha, made this statement.

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According to him, SGBV is the result of a conflict in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states, where numerous women were forcibly enlisted as Boko Haram suicide bombers and slain, raped, abducted, and harassed.

The community in Polo General areas has one of the largest host communities for displaced people and a high number of survivors who were victims of sexual assault. As you are aware, Borno is the epicentre of this crisis where SGBV were committed on a huge scale. For this reason, we felt we had to launch our campaign there. Our excursion produced favourable outcomes, and this campaign touched a large number of people.

“Over the last seven years, we have worked in Borno and other states to guarantee that we enlighten the communities. The community engagement is impactful. We have involved over 40 women-led organisations. participants.

“Our goal is to confront and combat the mindset, customs, and traditions that have normalised sexual assaulters within the community,” he declared.

Speaking with Steve Amuda, the Regional Coordinator CDD, he added that campaigns against gender-based violence were run in Polo general areas in collaboration with community leaders due to the horrors perpetrated by both state-armed and non-state actors during the conflicts, which had resulted in the startlingly high rate of SGBV in the state.

“The state has a high number of SGBV instances, but as part of CDD engagement, we are working with important stakeholders and NGOs to raise community awareness.

By educating the public about the dangers involved, we hope to minimise or eliminate the number of SGBV cases in the state. However, in order for us to succeed, everyone must work together.

Thus, in order to assist spread the word to the grassroots, he explained, “we involve those who play key roles in society such as traditional and religious rulers, women, people living with disabilities, and youths.”