Kogi ‘AGILE’ Moves To Curb GBV, Trains School Principals, Focal Persons

The Kogi State Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), has commenced the training of school principals and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) focal persons across the state as part of measures to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in schools.

The training, which is taking place across the three senatorial districts of the state, is designed to strengthen the capacity of school administrators and designated GBV officers to prevent, identify and appropriately respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse/Sexual Harassment (SEA/SH).

It is also aimed at promoting a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment for girls in AGILE-supported schools.

Speaking during the training, the AGILE GBV Focal Person, James Peter, said the exercise had become imperative because of the ongoing projects in participating schools.

According to him, the concentration of the AGILE project on the girl child makes it necessary for school authorities and GBV focal persons to be adequately equipped to deal with possible cases of sexual violence.

He said: “the purpose of this training, as you all know, is on sexual exploitation and abuse/sexual harassment and GBV. This project is centred on the girl child who is in your care in your various schools.

“We believe that with this type of project ongoing now, there is every tendency to have issues of sexual violence in your schools. That is why we want to equip you with the knowledge and skills to prevent and respond appropriately to such cases.”

Peter stressed that AGILE had zero tolerance for GBV-related incidents, urging participants to be proactive rather than wait until cases escalate before taking action.

He particularly appealed to GBV focal persons to ensure that cases of gender-based violence reported in schools are promptly documented and referred to the appropriate authorities.

He warned that failure to report such incidents could amount to shielding perpetrators.

“Whenever there is a case, report it. Do not keep quiet. If you fail to report a GBV case, it may mean that you are shielding the person involved,” he cautioned.

One of the facilitators, Barrister Joy, urged school principals, counsellors and other stakeholders to maintain strict confidentiality when handling GBV complaints.

She also advised participants to adopt a survivor-centred approach that prioritises the safety, dignity and wellbeing of victims.

She said the training provided an opportunity for participants to understand the established protocols and principles guiding the handling of GBV cases in school environments.

“The lecture is about receiving complaints and treating complaints of gender-based violence within school settings in Kogi State. We have here principals, parents and counsellors within various schools in Kogi Central.

“We talked about the best practices, how to maintain confidentiality in cases of gender-based violence and also how to adopt a survivor-centred approach in GBV interventions in their schools,” she said.

A participant from Okehi Local Government Area of the state, Isa Nasiru, said the training had equipped him with the knowledge and skills needed to appropriately handle GBV cases in his school.

Nasiru said the training had particularly helped him understand the steps to take when a GBV case is reported and the appropriate authorities to contact for further intervention.

“I now know the steps to take before attending to GBV cases and the appropriate people to contact to address such cases,” he said.

Another participant, Mrs Gwatana Agnes of Government Secondary School, Agodo, in Bassa Local Government Area, said she had gained valuable knowledge from the training and was now better equipped to handle GBV-related cases in her school.

“Actually, I have gained a lot from this training. With the training I have received, I now know how to handle and resolve GBV cases in my school,” Agnes said.

A major highlight of the training was the signing of a code of conduct by participating school principals and GBV focal persons, reinforcing their commitment to maintaining safe and protective learning environments for students.

The participants, who took turns to express their satisfaction with the training, described the exercise as timely, noting that the knowledge acquired would improve their capacity to prevent and respond to GBV cases in their respective schools.

They commended AGILE for organising the training, saying there could not have been a better time for such an initiative, given the ongoing interventions in schools across the state.