GBV – CIRDDOC

Akwa Ibom Communities Seek More Information On Issues Of GBV/SRHR

Some communities in Akwa Ibom State have called for more information on issues of Gender Based Violence and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights saying they’ve been ignorant of some of these issues that affect them.

The people disclosed this over the weekend during house hold discussions on gender based violence organised by Coalition of Eastern NGOs, Akwa Ibom Chapter/CIRDDOC with UKAID and funded by AmplifyChange for SRHR held at the three senatorial districts of the State which comprised, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket.

They further disclosed that there were instances of gender based violence especially at their neighborhood which had remained unreported promising that having known the implications of hiding sexual offenders(rapists) and abusers, they would ensure that such cases are reported as soon as they occur.

The people mostly rural dwellers also showed readiness to enrol for family planning to reduce child bearing and take proper care of the ones they already have.

“We are very happy to receive you and we are willing and eager to learn more on issues of Gender based violence. Honestly before now most of us do not know much about SRHR/GBV. Indeed this discussion was an eye-opener to us.

“Even in our neighborhood, there are some cases of GBV which have not been reported because of fear, but with the information we have gotten so far during our discussion, those things will no longer go unreported.” One of the participants Linus Jimmy had said in one of the visits.

Another participant noted, ”I wish you people can be coming regularly because some of the things I’ve learnt today were things we heard before but never knew how to go about it especially the family planning. I’m also happy that my husband is around to listen to what you people were saying.”

Speaking earlier, the Community Education volunteers from Akwa Ibom State said it was a crime to hide or protect rapists or perpetrators of GBV stressing that the dangers were numerous.

They gave out the emergency lines for the people to report any incidence of GBV or go to the nearest health centre to access information on SRHR.

11 Ebonyi communities renounce female genital mutilation practice

No fewer than 11 communities in Ikwo local government area of Ebonyi State on Friday at Igbudu community resolved to abolish the practice of female genital mutilation.

The people made the decision at the public Declaration on the Abandonment of FGM in Ikwo Local Government Area.

The event was organised by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) with support of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). CIRDDOC is an independent, nongovernmental, and not for-profit organisation established in 1996 and committed to the promotion and protection of human rights, strengthening of civil society and the promotion of rule of law and access to justice.

The communities include; Igbudu, Ndufu Amagu, Ndiegu Amagu, Ndiegu Achara, Ndufu Echera, Inyimagu and Ekpoomaka. Others are Ekpa Elu, Eka, Ameka and Okpuitumo communities all in Ikwo Local Government Area.

Leaders of the communities in their separate remarks said that they resolved to abandon the harmful practice because of its health implications and its violation of the reprodictive rights of the woman and girlchild.

Eze Dominic Alo, the traditional ruler of NdufuAmagu community commended the organisation for promoting the campaign against FGM practice and noted that his community would join others in the council to stop the inhuman practice.

He said that the message would be passed down to the practioners and other members of the community while efforts would be made to effectively sensitise the people on the dangers of the act.

The traditional ruler was represented by Chief Dominic Nwuruku. He said: “I want to make a commitment and to assure that the message and lessons learnt from this exercise will be taking down to our various villages, churches, schools and markets.

“This is to ensure that the practice of FGM is completely eradicated in the local government area.”

Mr Igwe Okede, the town union president of Igbudu community explained that the people of the community were ready to abandon the practice.

“We are not only declaring the abandoning of this age -long harmful practice but we will ensure that we enforce compliance on community members.

“I am pledging to work to ensure that no community in our LGA is involved in this wickedness and gross violation of rights of the girlchild and women,” Okede said.

Also speaking, Mr Amechi Okorie, the town union president, Ndiegu Amagu called for synergy among stakeholders, government and the Civil Society Organizations to ensure the elimination of the practice in Ebonyi communities.

The community leaders, on behalf of their various communities, signed a document publicly outlawing the practice in their respective domains and pledged to constitute monitoring committees to enforce compliance of the declaration.

Earlier, Ms, Onyinye Okaah, Executive Secretary of CIRDDOC, said that the public declaration of abandonement of FGM implied that community leaders were no longer in support of the practice.

Okaah, while applauding the communities for renouncing the practice however, noted that some people could still indulge secretly in the act.

She urged stakeholders to constitute FGM committees that would enforce the decision of the communities including placing local fines on violators.

Some victims who participated at the event also narrated a harrowing experience they underwent and vowed to leverage the campaign to sensitise other women in their communities.

Mrs Chinenye Okeworo, a victim in her late 30s said that she underwent the practice before her first child and lamented that she was pushed to do it by her father.

“I didn’t want to do it; it was my father who pressurised me saying that if I refused that I’ll give birth to an imbecile that was why I yielded,” she said.

Also, Mrs Caroline Chukwu, another victim, said that due to the cutting that she didn’t usually have sexual urge whenever the husband wanted to have sex with her due to pains she experienced each time she had sex.

Ebonyi is one of the states with highest prevalent rate of female genital mutilation in the country, while Ikwo council area has the highest number of cases in the state.