By Aderogba George, News Agency of Nigeria, Abuja

Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Federal Capital Territory Chapter has called for community education to challenge harmful norms in the six area councils of the FCT.

President of MWAN-FCT chapter, Dr Maureen Umeakuewulu, made the call on behalf of the association at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday.

Umeakuewulu said harmful norms were part of what brought an increase to Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Nigerian communities.

She also called for strengthening of the capacity of health workers to identify, manage, and refer survivors of SGB to where they could get justice, stressing that the issue is becoming too much in local communities.

The association advocated for implementation and strong enforcement of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, stressing that ending GBV is a matter of collective action from individuals.

“We called for community education to challenge harmful norms, survivor-centered health, legal, and psychosocial services, safe and confidential reporting mechanisms and engagement of men and boys as allies.

The association appreciated the support of French Embassy’s for its partnership, saying that such invaluable support rendered to MWAN within the 16 days of activism against SGB is worthy of note.

The President said that the French Embassy’s commitment to advancing gender equality and protecting the rights and dignity of women and girls has significantly strengthened the association’s advocacy, community engagement, and capacity-building efforts.

“We acknowledge this partnership as a powerful demonstration of international solidarity in addressing gender-based violence, and we look forward to continued collaboration aimed at building safer and more inclusive communities for women and girls in Nigeria.

“Ending gender-based violence is not the responsibility of one sector—it is a collective duty. While today marks the end of the 16 Days of activism, it must not mark the end of action, GBV does not occur for only 16 days in a year—it occurs every day.

“Our response must therefore be continuous, coordinated, and sustained,” she declared.

She reaffirmed that MWAN’s advocacy would continue, saying that its commitment is to build safer communities, protect women’s health and dignity, and ensure that no woman or girl lives in fear.

A former President of MWAN-FCT, and past National Coordinator of MWAN, Dr Stella Essiet, expressed her disappointment in the Nigeria judicial system, saying that much has not been done for victims of GBV to get justice.

She cited a lot of cases in the country, which she said many of them have escaped justice, while calling on Judges to brace up and give judgment that would serve as a deterrent to others found in this act.

Essiet also alleged collaboration between some of these perpetrators and some Judges, noting that such policy doesn’t help matters, rather it escalates the issue and gives confidence to the intended perpetrator.

She also alleged that some cases are killed naturally as a result of lack of sufficient evidence to justify the case, and that this had brought a lot of deaths of women and young girls.

“It is only when the victim has died before we hear some judgment, some pronouncement, we don’t have to wait for this woman to die before we can take action,” she stressed.

Mr Christiana Uzo-Okamgba, Founder/Executive Director, Tabitha Empowerment Centre, who shouldered the reintegration of a woman back to her normal life after passing through GBV in her home, stated that a lot is happening in the GBV world.

She explained that the woman in question passed through a lot in her house, and at the end of the issue, the husband drove her out, before her path and that of her organisation came across and she was reintegrated back to the system.

She said that her organisation had been able to empower the woman to restart her business again, after winning custody of her four children in court, and that two of these children are currently on the scholarship list of her organisation.

Uzo-Okamgba appealed to MWAN to also channel its partnership deal with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), saying the agency is confident when it comes to handling SGBV cases.

The victim narrated her ordeal while passing through the GBV case,
and appreciated Tabitha Empowerment Centre, who gave her joy back and reintegrated her into the system to start her business again.

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA