WRAHP commences two-day training on SGBV Reporting for Young Advocates from secondary schools in Lagos
Charity Nnaji:
Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), Managers of Ireti Resource Centre in partnership with Canada Fund for Local Initiative (CFLI) has commenced a 2-day training on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Reporting for Young Advocates from Secondary Schools in Alimosho LGA, Lagos State.
The event which took place at Egbe-Idimu Community Town Hall commenced on the Wednesday, 6th of March and would end on Thursday 7th March, 2024.
According to the organisers, the initiative was meant to equip young advocates with essential skills and knowledge crucial for effectively identifying, reporting, and combatting SGBV within their communities.
It is worthy of note that in recent years, SGBV has emerged as a pervasive issue, with alarming rates of occurrence among adolescents and young adults. Therefore, leveraging the power of education and advocacy, WRAHP and CFLI have recognized the pivotal role that young advocates play in combating SGBV and fostering safer environments for all.
The training was also designed to cover a range of topics, including understanding the dynamics of SGBV, recognizing warning signs, providing support to survivors, navigating reporting mechanisms, and advocating for policy change and community support.
Ms. Bose Ironsi, Executive Director of WRAHP, expressed her enthusiasm for the training, stating, “Empowering young advocates with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively address SGBV is paramount in our collective efforts to create safer and more inclusive communities. Through this collaboration with CFLI, we aim to cultivate a new generation of change-makers who will champion the cause of ending SGBV in Lagos State.”
Part of the objectives of the training include but not limited to Raising awareness among young advocates regarding the prevalence and impact of SGBV; Equipping participants with practical skills for identifying and responding to instances of SGBV sensitively and effectively; Empowering young advocates to become agents of change within their schools and communities by actively engaging in SGBV prevention and response efforts.
WRAHP, renowned for its commitment to advancing women’s rights and community health, has continued to spearhead innovative initiatives aimed at addressing pressing social issues and promoting sustainable change.
Ayomide Okeleye, Communication Officer, WRAHP, while speaking to the media said “We have come to realize that engaging young people in Lagos State is actually a critical mechanism for addressing SGBV. Yes, we have been engaging men, women and relevant stakeholders, religious leaders, traditional leaders, but we are intentional about engaging the students because we believe SGBV is a respecter of no persons, and SGBV can happen to any person. So we train these students to be able to identify and respond to cases of SGBV, not just to themselves alone but even to their peers around them. And we hope that with this initiative, they can also go to their various schools probably during the assembly time, social activities, special occasions, they can step down what they have gotten here to the their peers, so that this knowledge can be for everyone.”
She disclosed that 40 students selected from eight schools in Lagos were trained, “Yes we are strategic about it, we are not just picking students from private schools, we are also going to public schools, because we believe that when they get back to their respective schools, they can step down this training to their other colleagues thereby reaching a wider audience, and that is a plus for us, because when this knowledge is passed across a wider audience, I believe it is going to address the issue of SGBV.
Omotayo Lawal, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, WRAHP, also spoke on the effects of violence on the young ones, the signs and symptoms of child abuse; she also taught them the reporting channels available for them.Speaking on the rate of sexual violence in Alimosho area of Lagos, Lawal said, “There is high prevalence of sexual abuse, mostly targeted at young persons, because they are minors, some older persons feel that they can be abused, cajoled or molested, in terms of not speaking up when they abuse them either physically, sexually or emotionally, and we see a lot of this at IRETI Resource Centre. The resource centre is the psychosocial support arm of WRAHP, where we provide psychosocial services to survivors of sexual and other abuses.
