Sultanate Foundation tasks Medical Students To Create Awareness On GBV
By Onuminya Ochowechi In Sokoto
The Sultanate Foundation for Peace and Development (SFPD), a non governmental organization (NGO), has called on medical and health sciences students to redouble efforts on promoting awareness and community response against Gender Based Violence (GBV).
The foundation’s Programme Officer, Alhaji Musa Galadanci, made the call at the one-day sensitisation organised by
the foundation at Sultan Abdulrahman School of Health Technology Gwadabawa in Sokoto state.
Galadanci urged students to serve as vanguards and mobilizers against GBV stressing the need for students to always summon courage to always speak out.
He said that the sensitisation, supported by the EU- , UN, Spotlight Initiative Project, would go a long way in encouraging students to speak out against GBV.
He stressed the need for students to understand what Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) are, and what the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAAP) Law stipulates.
He described the culture of silence and compromise as great challenges to tackling the GBV menace in communities.
According to him, when anyone decides to be silent when being abused or not report a perpetrator, such a person promotes the menace indirectly.
He said the campaign is aimed at providing the opportunity to share thoughts on measures to reduce violence against women
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and girls, drawing insights from their various communities
The Facilitator, Mrs Rashida Muhammad, a legal practitioner, presented lecture on categories of GBV, prevalence,
consequences, policies and laws, as well as referral pathways.
Muhammad concentrated on challenges of discriminatory behaviours against the female gender in social norms and actions detrimental to
women and girls, especially in educational pursuits.
She said that educating people especially their pairs on best way to handle GBV cases, support survivors and eliminate violence against women and girls.
Muhammad called for increased efforts toward spotlighting prevalence of GBV, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Female Gentile Mutilation (FGM), Child Marriage (CM) and other Harmful Practices in the state.
The facilitator shared experiences, thoughts on measures to reduce violence against women and girls, drawing insight from different communities.
The school principal, Malam Usman Bala-Yabo commended the foundation for efforts toward enlightening Nigerians about GBV and urged students to speak out and support toward reducing the menace in all forms.
