Musa Na Allah Sokoto
A Community Dialogue Committee, a non-governmental organization has trained School Principals and Counseling Officers in Sokoto state to mitigate the challenges of gender-based violence (GBV) in the state.
The secretary of the Nana Khadija Center Dr. Auwal Musa while making presentations at the two-day training workshop said the center has 69 surveillance teams handling cases of GBV.
The centers according to him provide counseling and incentives for survivors to start a new life and become self-reliant.
He described effective communication and active listening as the best method of obtaining vital and useful information from survivors of GBV and sexual molestation in schools.
In his remarks, Prof Mustapha Namakka Tukur urged school administrators in the state to put more eyes on teacher/student relationships in their schools to ensure a clean bill of health.
He said efforts should be made to ensure that perpetrators of gender-based offenses are not allowed to go scotch-free, they should be made to face justice and incarcerated where necessary.
“Government should develop referral pathways and other support services connecting students with appropriate gender-based service providers.”
The Chairman Sokoto state response team Malam Rabiu Bello Gandi advised counseling officers and school principals not to distract the attention of victims or survivors by seeking information by mentioning names of potential suspects. .
“Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious violation of human rights and a life-threatening health and protection issue.
“When people flee their homes, they are often at greater risk of physical, sexual and psychological violence, such as rape, sexual abuse, trafficking and forced prostitution”.
“Anyone women, girls, men and boys can fall victim to violence simply because of their sex or gender, women and girls are especially at risk. It is estimated that one in three women will experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime.”
“Gender-based violence is preventable and our response team is committed to promoting gender equality and protection.
“Gender-based violence includes sexual, physical, mental, and economic harm inflicted in public or in private. It also includes threats of violence and manipulation that can take many forms such as intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and female genital mutilation.”
According to him the consequences of gender-based violence are devastating and have lifelong repercussions for survivors, sometimes it even leads to death.
“Gender-based violence programming prevention, response, and risk mitigation is lifesaving.
“Governments and communities to address GBV and to implement quality programming to prevent, mitigate and respond.
“Our primary purpose is to safeguard the rights of victims and support States to uphold their responsibility to ensure that people of concern are protected against GBV.”
A traditional ruler and District head of Gagi in Sokoto South local government Alhaji Sani Umar Jabbi expressed dismay with the attitude of parents who always want to keep silent when their wards are raped or sexually molested.
He said as traditional rulers henceforth perpetrators of GBV would be exposed to Communities and sanctioned for benefiting from whatever is due for their Communities.
“We will continue to voice out our concern not until perpetrators of GBV in our Communities and their sponsors decide to change their attitude.
“A son to the Special Adviser in the state was once prosecuted on GBV and sentenced to prison terms without option of fine.
“There is a traditional title holder who was removed from office as a result of his link to a case of child abuse in the state,” the monarch said.
