SGBV: NGOs commission women, girls’ safe space In southern Kaduna

By Austine Emmanuel, Kaduna

Two Non Governmental Organisations, (NGOs), International Alert, (IA), and Global Peace Development, (GPD), have commissioned women and girls’ space in Jema’a LGA, Kaduna state.

The safe space, established in Goska Community, in Kafanchan, the headquarters of the Southern Kaduna people, aims to address the issue of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, (SGBV) and also to give Goska and Dangoma women and girls the platform to discuss issues that are of concern to them.

Goska and Dangoma communities located in Kafanchan, Jema’a LGA of the state consists of Muslims and Christians who have a long history of violent clashes, and SGBV.

However, the safe-space built for them would serve as a referral centre for women and girls, especially survivors of SGBV to get referral to places they could get counselling.

Inaugurating the safe-space structure in Goska, the Executive Director, Global Peace Development, (GPD) Mr. Ebruke Esike, lamented that SGBV and violent conflict was prevalent between Goska and Dangoma, hence the need for the intervention.

Esike said to address cultural norms and SGBV issues, the NGOs conceived the idea of addressing the concerns of women as home builders that could lead to getting the men to promote peace between the two communities.

According to the  Executive Director, if women are not ready for violence, the men cannot perpetrate it, he called for the promotion of access to justice for the women and girls so that outsiders cannot bring enmity to the community.

“Women have a role in the peace process, the safe-space is however a combination of many factors that promote justice, stability and ensuring accountability for those who violate the rights of women and girls.

“Women alone or men alone cannot promote peace, we need to work together and that is why safe-space is important,” he added.

In his remarks, the Country Director, International Alert, Mr Paul Nyulaku, said the safe-space would serve as a point of strategy for the women and girls to explore opportunities for inclusion in decision making processes in their community.

He  equally said that the two NGOs had trained first responders in the communities who would be saddled with the task of providing first response services to survivors of SGBV and referring them to the appropriate authorities if need be.

“The safe-space is going to be manned by the first responders and dialogue facilitators that have been trained to provide psychosocial and psychological support to survivors of SGBV in the communities,” Paul said.

Earlier in her remark, the Director, Policy Advocacy and Communications International Alert, London, Hannah Ward, said it was encouraging to see the two communities who have been in conflict bond together again to live peacefully.

Hannah, who visited Nigeria for the first time to evaluate the successes of the project, reiterated the NGO’s commitment to support conflict prone communities. She hoped to build more safe-spaces across the state to curb the menace of SGBV in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the two communities, the Village Heads, Mr Samuel Barde of Goska and Malam Muhammad Bayi of Dangoma community, thanked the NGOs for erecting the safe-space for their benefits.

The duo said it would go a long way in strengthening the renewed ties between them for the benefit of their youths and the coming generation.

“It will also reduce much of the cases of SGBV in our communities because justice is bound to be served to perpetrators and would serve as deterrence to others,”  they said.

Dignitaries present at the commissioning of the safe-space include women, youths and religious leaders, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, the Deputy Chairman of the Jema’a LGA, among others.

The highlight of the event was traditional dance and displays by groups of the two communities and also the planting of Goska Peace Garden as a symbol of the event.