The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) has moved to address gender-based violence in communities in Plateau state.
At a meeting with stakeholders on Friday in Mangu Local Government of Plateau state, National Programme Manager of FIDA, Mr Fiki Obaro, stated that the project was to end harmful practices affecting women in the society.
“This project, sponsored by Ford Foundation in collaboration with FIDA, is taking place in two communities each in Plateau, Lagos and Ekiti states.
“This Action Plan Progress review meeting is to ensure that the communities are channelling their energy towards protecting women and girl child from harmful practices in the society,” he said.
Stakeholders in Plateau state have taken deliberate steps to address Gender Based Violence and harmful traditional practices such as child marriage, women’s disinheritance and denial of girl child education in Plateau communities.
The District Head, Mangu, Mangu Local Government Area, Da Job Damiyal, said the traditional institution in the community had come up with a by-law that would address all forms of marginalisation against women.
“We have realised that there are some cultural practices that affect women and girl-child negatively and we are working on changing the narrative which is why we introduced a by-law that will address the issues.
“Women should not be marginalised because there are some practices such as forced marriage, lack of payment of dowry, disinheritance and so on.
“A girl-child should not just be forced into marriage without due process and some consideration; she must be given every opportunity, especially as it concerns education.
“The girl child is not seen as useful and is given out to marriage but we want to change that in our community because the girl-child is as important as the male child.
“We want to ensure that the girl-child is given her rightful place in the society.
“As a community we have decided that some traditional practices that will not uplift womanhood are stopped in order for the girl child to flourish in the society,” he said.
Similarly, Mrs Rahila Pinshak, a community member, said the programme had enlightened them on the need to kick against child marriage in the society.
Pinshak lamented that most female child forced into early marriage ended up with Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) and sometimes died at the point of delivery.
Mr Julius Abalis, a representative of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, who described the programme as important, said it was useful on changing negative narrative that grossly affected women.
Also, Mrs Plangnan Luka, a woman Leader of Mangu District, said the programme had liberated most women who were marginalised by their spouses.
Luka added that women in the community now understood when their rights had been violated and promised to speak out when they were being abused.
Programme Officer, FIDA Nigeria, Rita Lasoju, encouraged the community to carry out the Action Plan judiciously to eliminate issues of gender violence in the areas.
Lasoju explained that the programme was aimed at empowering women and girl-child to contribute effectively in the growth and development of the society.