ADVOCACY VISIT BY GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT ACTION (GADA) SPONSORED BY UNFPA TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR WOMEN AFFAIRS, CRS.

 

The Gender and Development Action(GADA) paid a special advocacy visit to the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hon. Rita Agbo Ayim, in her office recently. The Ministry of Women Affairs is a key stakeholder/implementing Partner in Cross River State.  The GADA advocacy visit was part of their visit to key stakeholders in Cross River State on the Creation of Safe Spaces in Educational Institutions and Non-formal spaces. 

Speaking during the visit, the Coordinator Spotlight,GADA, Mrs Akon Bassey-Duke said this activity was put together by the United Nations Population Funds(UNFPA), for the   Spotlight Initiative, in conjunction with Gender and Development Action (GADA), as the lead implementing Partner in Cross River State.

GADA is a non-governmental organization which envisions a Nigeria where gender equity, sustainable development and social justice thrive.

The Spotlight Initiative in Nigeria is aimed at supporting a Nigeria where all Women and Girls (particularly the vulnerable), live a life free from Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Harmful Practices(HP), eg Genital Mutilation, Early and Forced Marriage, etc.

Mrs Bassey-Duke said the Initiative is designed to address linkages between Sexual and Gender Based Violence (GBV), Harmful Practices (HP) and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), adding that the main focus is Prevention and Services , which addresses the root causes of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and Harmful Practices (HP) and also ensure access to inclusive, timely and quality service for victims and survivors , which the one-stop GBV centre at the premises of the Ministry of Women Affairs handles. She said under the Spotlight Initiative, GADA has trained and empowered 100 out- school-girls on life and vocational skills, training and capacity building etc.

Explaining the purpose of their advocacy visit,  the Coordinator said "GADA seeks to use this medium to intimate your Ministry of her participation in the Spotlight Initiative project, and to seek collaboration as we strive to end violence against women and girls in Cross River State".

Responding, the Hon. Commissioner thanked GADA for the advocacy visit and said she looked forward to ensuring that the objective of this exercise will be met and the spaces created will be properly managed and indeed become safe for survivors of all forms of discrimination.

 She said the need to fund management of spaces has been raised severally at the TWG(Technical Working Group) meetings, and that some of the partners have said they expect support/funding from the government. In her words " I know Partners are very concerned with achieving results, and if space management will help us achieve the level of result expected, I don't see why they cannot bend back a little to fund space management"...adding that with the creation of safe spaces, survivors will be able to feel the impact of what Spotlight Initiative is doing.

Hon. Rita requested  that implementing Partners should see how they can incorporate this into their activities  and make demands to the Spotlight team to see the need to fund management of spaces.

On the training/empowerment of out-school-girls, the Commissioner also requested for more collaboration between GADA and the Ministry, so survivors  of sexual/domestic violence can also be involved in their vocational skills/ training, so they can have a means of livelihood which will help take their minds off their trauma.

 She said life after the short stay of survivors in the safe spaces was of utmost concern to her.

Hon. Rita also talked about the insufficiency of Data as a major concern for the Ministry.  She said very often data is required at the  National level to make for proper planning, therefore the need for accurate data from Organisations like the Population Commission and also GADA for the purpose of cross checking to ensure no information is left out.

So many other key decisions were made by the Commissioner at the meeting, whilst also thanking GADA for their visit , and promising to  work with them, support them to ensure that meaningful results are achieved in the end.

Also present at the meeting were the  Director, Women, Mrs Nancy Nsor, and Director, Child, Mrs Asi Archibong, Director, Admin, Mrs Ushie, Director PRS, Mrs Thelma Yakubu and some other related staff of the Ministry.