NGO Leads Onslaught To Curb Violence Against Women

As the two week advocacy campaign against violence on women gathers momentum, a non-governmental organisation labeled Mother of Good Counsel Initiative (MOGCI ) has organised a stakeholders meeting to address the societal malaise.
It carried out sensitisation campaigns to churches, communities, women, and adolescent groups across the State.
At a workshop held in Port Harcourt, Executive Director of MOGCI, Dr. Doris Onyeneke while speaking on the topic, “The Role of Women in Eliminating Gender-Based Violence” regretted that women are both victims and perpetrators of gender-based violence.
Onyeneke submitted that violence against women goes against the fifth Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which harps on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
In her words, “These abuses most often result in death of the victim. It goes as far as denying her economic rights and most married women are denied employment due to their status.”
She listed cultural , economic, and political factors, including war, and conflict as major causes of Gender-based violence.
For her, women are more susceptible and prone to gender-based violence and should speak out against factors that encourage gender-based violence, while recommending measures that will nip the malaise in the bud.
Similarly, Mrs. Victoria Ilochonwu while speaking on, “Empowering Women Through Family Planning: A Path to Gender Equality and Violence Prevention” identified challenges of women and girls while proferring that family planning can help curb gender-based violence.
She disclosed that one in every four girls gets pregnant before they turn 18, and that one in four girls drop out of secondary school and about 800 women and girls die from childbirth every day.
She enumerated the benefits of family planning in checking gender-based violence as it enhances child and maternal health, while helping the women to have control over their bodies and the ability to pursue their career.
She stressed the need for men to be incorporated in any family planning, to avert violence and physical abuse in the home.
Another speaker, Miss Sarah Iroha on the topic, “Gender mainstreaming,” stressed need for public policy to incorporate legislations and programmes that will empower women.
She argued that projects and programmes are key mechanisms that will enhance mainstreaming of women in the polity.
For her, goal setting goals prioritisation, engagement of women and men, empowering mothers, stopping child marriage, and getting women into political offices are ways to engender gender equality.
On her part, Mrs Michael Peace spoke on “Ways to Mitigate The Impact of Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women,” and sought more increase in funding to end violence against women and girls through economic empowerment.
Mrs Uzoechi Stella Onyinyechi in her paper, “Putting Gender on The Agenda And the Examination Of Practices That Violate The Rights of Women In Nigeria,” stressed that over the years, most societal anomalies the women face in Nigeria had been seen as normal even though it was bad.
The origin of some of these practices and the effects she explained have been overlooked, and as such have become traditions, while most of them are everyday experiences they encounter simply as being “feminine” in nature and therefore, appear helpless when they experience such.
The event included road shows, visits and workshop and paper presentation on burning issues relating to girls and women rights.

Stories by Kevin Nengia