A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Women in the New Nigeria and Youth Engagement Initiative (WINN), in partnership with Integrated Women, Youth and Child Foundation (IWAYEC), has trained 50 women and youth-led civil society organisations (CSOs) in Borno State to enhance their ability to monitor and report human rights violations.
This is in a bid to tackle abuses resulting from years of Boko Haram insurgency in the state.
Speaking at the end of a two-day capacity building training on Saturday in Maiduguri, a resource person for the training, Barr. Zainab Haruna Bwala of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said one of the aims of the programme is to build the capacity of the participants so that they would have the background knowledge of what human rights violations entail.
She added that the participants are being equipped with relative knowledge they need to execute the object of monitoring and reporting human rights violations, saying that the initiative aims to empower these organisations to effectively track and document human rights abuses, promoting accountability and justice in the state and region.
She said the training is crucial, given the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Borno, where Boko Haram’s violent activities have led to widespread displacement, human rights violations, and instability.
“The training came as a result of decade of insurgency in the state so that people can report the violations they have witnessed or experienced in order for such violations to be addressed. And we have recorded reduction in the occurrence of human rights violations in the state, and credit is to be given to awareness creation through training as this advocacy and radio programmes,” Barr Bwala said.
She added that at the end of the training, participants are expected to have knowledge of what human rights entail, adding that they would be able to identify human rights violations and follow proper channel in reporting these violations.
The programme manager of WINN, Rejoice John, said the project is about peace building with the theme, “ Comprehensive Approach to Empowering women and youth For Social Cohesion and Sustainable Peace in Borno State”, adding that it is being implemented by two local organisations, WINN and IWAYEC, with funding from the UNDP Peace Fund.
The programme manager added that the project is addressing regional strategy for stabilisation of Boko Haram affected areas in the Lake Chad Basin, in terms of security and humanitarian rights, and then prevention of violent extremism and building peace.
“The project is implemented in two local government areas comprising, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC); Lamisula, Moduganari, Gwomari, Shuwari and Jiddari. There is also an empowerment programme where we have empowered about 3,000 women, youth, adolescent boys and girls, persons living with disabilities (PWDs) in various skills, such as tailoring, soap making, cap making, among others, in addition to provision of starter-packs to beneficiaries,” she said.
Programme manager IWAYEC, Joshua Boyi Bwala, said the capacity building training provided to the CSOs, has also been provided for security agencies like the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and local security organisations in the State, in addition to community leaders.
