ActionAid Nigeria and South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) has inaugurated Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Response Teams in three communities in Enugu State.
The three communities included Ihenyi and Orokoro Communities in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area (LGA) and Igga Community in Uzo Uwani LGA.
In a speech at the event in Igga Community, the Programme Officer, Local Rights Programme, Miss Priye West, said that GBV remained a significant issue in society, especially in rural communities.
West said that the phenomenon had caused immense harm and violated the rights of individuals, particularly women and girls in rural communities.
According to her, women often cower in fear as their source of livelihood is tied to their abusive partners.
“Addressing GBV requires collaborative efforts from government agencies, community stakeholders and civil society organisations.
“Understanding this challenge, SSDO, in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria, under the Local Rights Programme in Enugu State, established a GBV Response Team in three communities.
“This committee of women, market leaders and youth representatives will help raise awareness, prevent and quickly respond to GBV cases.
“As part of these efforts, an advocacy visit was done to community stakeholders in the three communities to get their buy-in,” West said.
A committee member in Igga Community, Mrs Joy Okorie, said that the committee would help women to speak out, prevent men from being violent to their wives and create an atmosphere of dialogue in families.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each committee had at least 14 members. (NAN)
