16-days of Activism: CDD calls for end to culture of sexual, gender based violence

Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) said it has engaged more than 40 women-led organizations to sensitize critical stakeholders against sexual gender-based violence across three states affected by insurgency in the northeast region.

The Senior Fellow Researcher CDD, Prof Mala Mustapha stated this during the commemoration of the 2023 16 Days of Activism on Ending all Gender Based Violence Against Women and Girls with the theme “UNiTE Invest to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls” held in Maiduguri on Monday

He said SGBV is the outcome of insurgency in which many women were killed, raped, kidnapped, molested and forcefully conscripted into the rank of Boko Haram suicide bombers in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states respectively.

“As you know, Borno is the epicentre of this crisis where SGBV were perpetrated on a large scale, so we felt we must take this campaign out to the community in Polo General areas with one of the largest host communities for displaced persons with a high number of survival victims of subs. Our outing yielded positive results and many were reached through this campaign.

“The community engagement is impactful, we have engaged more than 40 women-led organizations, and we have been working within Borno and other states in the last seven years to ensure we enlighten the communities. stakeholders.

“We are out to challenge, to fight the attitude, the culture and norms that normalized perpetrators of sgbv in the society,” he said.

Also, speaking to the Regional Coordinator CDD, Steve Amuda said they carried out campaigns in Polo general areas along with community leaders against gender-based violence because of the atrocity committed by both state armed and non-state actors during the conflicts which had led to the alarming rate of SGBV in the state.

“We have many SGBV cases in the state but as part of CDD engagement, we are partnering with key stakeholders and NGOs to sensitize the community.

“We are trying to reduce or eliminate the cases of SGBV in the state by enlightening the people on the danger involved, and for us to achieve this; it is a collective effort for all and sundry.

”So that’s why we involve those who play key roles in society such as traditional and religious rulers, women, people living with disability and youths to help convey the message to the grassroots, he said.