Following the recent rescue of 27 women – some pregnant and others with children – from terrorists’ captivity, the Niger State government, in partnership with the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), has launched an initiative to prevent stigma and discrimination against the victims.
The effort aims to support their reintegration into society and ensure they receive the needed care and acceptance after their traumatic ordeal.
LEADERSHIP gathered that since the women were rescued from the bandits and other terrorists a few weeks ago , they have been under security scrutiny and profiling.
It was learnt that the security agencies were set to integrate the women with their families, but were faced with the resistance from some of the women who preferred to go back to their bandit partners with whom they had grown attached.
The state Amira of FOMWAN, Hajiya Hauwa Abdullahi, confirmed this in an interview after a day workshop to train service providers against the stigmatisation of the 27 survivors of the bandits’ Gender-based Violence (GBV).
She said over 40 government officials, security agencies, and service providers were trained on how to tackle stigmatisation from a religious perspective.
The solicitor-general of Niger State, Barrister Mairo Muhammad Mann , described the intervention as a great opportunity to tackle the menace that has been bedevilling survivors of GBV who have been faced with the double victimisation of suffering from the violence they suffered for years in captivity and also being stigmatised in their communities leading to many of them to contemplate returning to captivity than facing increasing victimisation in their communities.
She disclosed that the state government is determined to continue providing a conducive environment for survivors through psychosocial support, empowerment, and community integration.
The one-day event was supported by the Development Research and Projects Centre, dRPC, in collaboration with the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), with support from the Ford Foundation, under the Muslim Opinion Leaders for the prevention of GBV in Northern Nigeria.
