CSOs Begin Advocacy Against Gender-Based Violence In Bayelsa

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Bayelsa State yesterday commenced their advocacy against sexual and gender-based violence in schools and churches in the state.
The CSOs said the campaign was designed for the girl child awareness and protection against sexual predators.
It is being coordinated by the State Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT), a pet project of the Wife of Bayelsa Governor, Dr Gloria Diri, along with the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Standup for Women Society and the state chapter of the Nigerian Association of Female Engineers.
Other partners include the Starrz Safety Initiative, the Carenepere Initiative, Tep Tep Humanitarian Foundation, GREP and the Albinos Foundation.
The groups said they would take the advocacy to public and private schools and churches in the state.
In a speech in Yenagoa, the Chairman of GRIT, Mrs Dise Ogbise, commended the governor’s wife “for giving the team a platform to work and protect the girl child and female gender from abuse”.
Ogbise said the partnership with other organisations had helped to pass the message across the nooks and crannies of the state capital.
‘’The sensitisation is yielding positive results as more awareness is being created on preventive and protective strategies to curb issues of sexual and gender-based violence.
“We also appreciate Diri for the lead because this move has further strengthened GRIT’s relationship with other CSOs,” Ogbise further said.
Earlier, the governor’s wife called on the girl children to be conscious of the happenings in their surroundings and not allow sexual predators to jeopardise their future.
“Protect yourselves and do not allow any man to jeopardise your future.
“You should always be conscious of your surroundings and everybody around you.
“Everyone is a suspect, including some parents, guardians and teachers,” Diri said.
She advised the male children to always learn to love and protect their sisters from any form of violence.
She further warned them not to indulge in rape, cultism and drug abuse, amongst others.