U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has launched a four-year activity that will prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) in the states of Sokoto and Ebonyi.
According to the Agency, Gender-Based Violence GBV is a health and social concern with far-reaching consequences affecting mostly women and girls.
USAID notes that its $5 million MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership in Nigeria (MCGL) will reduce maternal and child mortality by increasing host country commitment to provide quality health care.
The project will also address drivers of child, early and forced marriage, and prevent and mitigate the impacts of violence against women and girls.
According to U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, Kathleen Fitzgibbon “Gender-based Violence is driven by structural inequalities and unequal power relations that render women subordinate due to limited access to education, employment, finances, healthcare, and opportunities to contribute to their family, community, and the country’s economic growth”.
Fitzgibbon added that the project will increase women’s voice and agency and reduce their vulnerability to gender-based violence.
“This new activity from USAID will strengthen GBV response mechanisms, help communities transform discriminatory gender and social norms that continue to subordinate women and make them vulnerable, and uphold and defend women’s health and human rights,” she said.
Responding to the gesture, Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq reiterated Nigeria’s comment towards addressing Gender-based violence in the country.
“We are committed to working together for a safer society for women, girls and the vulnerable, no time is more appropriate than now to adopt a policy of zero tolerance for gender-based violence in Nigeria,” she emphasised.
MCGL is already working in Sokoto and Ebonyi to engage communities, elected and traditional leaders, and a growing coalition of stakeholders to explore social norms that drive GBV. They will work with them to address gaps and develop interventions. This co-creation process can enhance laws and policies to protect vulnerable populations and improve access to reproductive health care.
USAID partner, Jphiego, will lead a growing consortium of Nigerian organizations to implement MCGL in Ebonyi and Sokoto due to their statistically high rates of GBV incidence and the presence of other USAID activities working to improve health outcomes.
Nnenna.O
