FG, UNFPA partner to end gender based violence

Moses Emorinken, Abuja

In its effort to reduce the preponderance of gender based violence in the country, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is partnering with the federal and states government to increase capacity, monitor progress and engender positive behavioural changes.

Gender based violence such as domestic violence, forced marriage, obstetric fistula, female genital mutilation, early child marriage, and other harmful customary or traditional practices, are the bane of the country’s social and economic development.

This was disclosed by the UNFPA Nigeria representative, Ms. Ulla Elisabeth Muller, during the stakeholders’ orientation workshop and project steering committee meeting of the UNFPA/Canadian High Commission, on gender based violence, on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to her, “We have this particular meeting because there are challenges we are facing in Nigeria around the prevention of gender based violence, Vistula, and traditional harmful practices. The reason it is challenging is because the empowerment of women and girls is a key driver to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and sustainable economic and social growth in any society.

“This is a joint project between UNFPA Nigeria and Canadian High Commission, and it is implemented by local organizations who are deeply rooted in the states and working closely with the state governments. Also, we are working with the federal government as one of our key partners.

“The idea of working with local partners is that it increases long term sustainability and will help us with solid monitoring of the results, and will give us almost real time information on where we are in the project. Stakeholders need to have conversations, especially with community and religious leaders because they are the ones who help communities drive and understand social norms.

“Therefore, we need to engage them in order to change social norms and to take the conversation to communities as to why they need to delay the age of marriage for girls, why it is important we delay the first pregnancy, and what we lose as a society when we fail to ensure that women and girls have access to reproductive health care”.

She added, “The three zeros is a vision 2030 that the UNFPA is work tirelessly to deliver. We have chosen three transformative resources, and we call them our three zeros. Zero unmet need for contraception; zero preventable maternal deaths; and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation by 2030.

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“These three zeros are transformational for any society because they will contribute to releasing the potential of women and girls this project gives us hope and calls for optimism.

“I know that the vision to end gender based violence can be delivered, and I have no doubt. It can be delivered through collective leadership and together we can improve the well being of women and girls in Nigeria.

“I want to reaffirm UNFPA support to ending gender based violence in Nigeria. We also stand with the government and are ready and available for timely review of the 2016 – 2019 strategy to address gender based violence in the country. We will be there to support the government in that process.

“I must stress that cooperation at all levels is what is going to take us there. I also know that apart from delivering the vision, Nigeria has the capacity, knowledge and the people to do so.

“There is also the responsibility that we don’t talk about because the success of Nigeria is also Africa’s success. In delivering the 3 zeros, we will leave no one behind.”

Also, in her remark, the First Secretary and Senior Development Officer of the High Commission of Canada, Kibeza Kasubi, added that the project will create an enabling en vironment and provide treatment and care for affected women and girls of gender based violence.

According to her, “Direct beneficiaries of this project include: 20,000 girls at risk of child marriage; 6,000 young women affected by fistula; 900 health workers trained on female genital mutilation and fistula; 15 communities declared abandonment of female genital mutilation; and 1,000 female teachers trained as girls mentors.”