NEPWHAN sensitises Lokoja college students on gender-based violence, human rights

The Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) has sensitised college students of Army Day Secondary School, Lokoja, on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), human rights and obtainable mechanisms for reporting abuse, as a part of efforts to advertise a protected and violence-free society.

Blueprint stories that the notice programme, organised underneath the Gender and Human Rights (GHR) element of the Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) Project in collaboration with three implementing Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), was geared toward equipping college students with the information to determine totally different types of abuse, perceive their rights and entry applicable assist when obligatory.

Speaking on the occasion, GOSHEN Programme Officer, Oluremi Haruna, who launched the CLM Project, emphasised the significance of partaking younger individuals in discussions on gender equality, human rights and private security.

She stated educating college students at an early age would allow them to recognise dangerous behaviours, perceive their rights and obligations, and develop the boldness to talk out in opposition to abuse and discrimination.

A consultant of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Hauwa Aliyu Adam, supplied sensible steering on channels for reporting incidents of gender-based violence and different human rights violations.

Her presentation highlighted applicable reporting procedures, the significance of immediate reporting, confidentiality and assist constructions obtainable to victims, urging college students to not endure in silence each time they expertise or witness abuse.

Similarly, the Ministry of Justice consultant, Juliana Jonathan Omale, educated the scholars on gender and human rights, explaining the totally different types of gender-based violence, their underlying causes and their bodily, emotional and social penalties.

She additionally highlighted the authorized protections obtainable to survivors and referred to as for particular person and collective duty in stopping violence, discrimination and different human rights violations.

The Principal of the college, whereas appreciating NEPWHAN, the collaborating CBOs and useful resource individuals for choosing the college for the train, described the sensitization programme as well timed and useful.

He expressed optimism that the information acquired would promote optimistic behavioural modifications among the many college students and contribute to constructing a extra respectful and safe faculty setting.

The programme featured an interactive question-and-answer session throughout which college students sought clarification on totally different types of GBV, notably whether or not bullying, emotional abuse and on-line harassment constituted gender-based violence and human rights violations.

Responding, the facilitators defined that GBV goes past bodily assault to incorporate psychological, emotional, sexual and financial abuse, stressing the necessity for college students to recognise such behaviours and take applicable steps to report them.

The college students additionally sought clarification on reporting procedures inside the faculty, the confidentiality of complaints and the help obtainable to survivors.