UNFPA-AUN parnership on gender-based violence initiative will help destroy negative stereotypes – Ndoni

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the global coordinating lead in gender-based violence prevention and response activities in emergencies through the GBV Area of Responsibility (AOR), is in partnership with the American University of Nigeria (AUN) to develop and roll out a pilot course in Gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE). In this interview, Erebi Ndoni, assistant professor, School of Law, AUN, who also is one of those driving the pilot course, spoke with ZEBULON AGOMUO, Editor, BusinessDay Sunday, on a number of issues. Excerpts:

Could you please tell us about the partnership existing between your institution, AUN, and the UNFPA? What is it about and what does it hope to achieve?

It is actually a partnership on Gender-based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE). This kind of course, actually exists in two other places in the world- Dublin and Kenya, East Africa. The partnership is to replicate the course in West Africa. Now, AUN was chosen because it is a development university and it is also situated in the North East. So, the idea was to start from the North East taking a look at the base states, Borno Adamawa and Yobe, and gradually expand or replicate such in other parts of Nigeria where they have either first gender-based violence in emergencies.

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So, we had the first cohort in November 2019; it was a physical cohort. We had 20 participants come down to AUN for two weeks of intensive training on different thematic areas and thereafter, had a closing ceremony after which they were given a certificate of participation.

The second cohort in 2020 was however, affected by Covid-19. So, we had a virtual cohort in July of 2020 and that also afforded us the opportunity to take more participants since it was virtual.

Our cost was reduced in terms of accommodation; so, we were able to take other participants even outside Nigeria.

So, we had our first international participation for the second cohort and we had 30 participants. Now, the third cohort was in March 2021, and it was a physical session as well; however, in AUN we have to maintain strict Covid-19 protocol.

We had about 25 participants. Then the fourth cohort just ended on 9th of July. We had 28 participants. So, the participants do not have to pay a fee except their transportation and feeding. They are accommodated and every other thing they will need for the course is provided for.

In the two weeks duration, they are open to lectures from different thematic areas like the core concept of gender-based violence; the humanitarian aspect of gender-based violence, then we have the legal response; that’s where the School of Law of the American University of Nigeria comes in to talk about legal response to gender-based violence. We also have medical practitioners, both from the sate and outside the state, teach them on health response about how to gather evidence from a survivor of gender-based violence, like forensic evidence- things that will make prosecution better for perpetrators of gender-based violence. Then we have things like mental and psycho-social support for not just the survivor but also for the case worker, because we appreciate that sometimes the case worker can be so subsumed in the gender-based incidents that they would move from empathy to sympathy and that is dangerous for the case worker. So, they teach them on how to take care of themselves as well.

Then they are also taught on how to gather data on gender-based violence and how to use these data; teach them on sexual exploitation and harassment; things that will make you observe that gender-based violence is taking place in a particular location. Now, once they are thought with these thematic areas, theoretically; we also organise field trips.

For instance, for this cohort, we went to the international Federation of Women Lawyers because we know that they deal with women’s rights and children’s rights, and we went there to see how they respond practically to such situations and there were cases they had to highlight to use of the fact that we used to have women as mainly as survivors of gender-based violence, but now we have men. Now, the Nigerian Bar Association has been involved in the legal response for gender-based violence for male survivors. Now, we also took a field trip to forensic lab at Adamawa State, and then we went to the Hope Centre located at the Specialist Hospital to see how medically gender-based violence is being responded to.

We also visit camps. In 2019, there was an active IDP Camp for internally Displaced Persons; however, there are no official camps you could say in Adamawa State any more. So, we now visit the host communities for the IDPs that are trying to reintegrate back into the communities.

We take them to the camps and do something like an audit to see if the camp is safe enough or it is a place that will trigger gender-based violence.

Basically, we do all that and the participants go back to their various locations. Now, if they are interested in taking it further; they have three months to write a research in any thematic areas of their choice. They are being supervised by the Faculty from American University of Nigeria; after the research, UNFPA places them on an internship. It could range from three to six months internship period; they write an internship report. At the last stage, they go through a coaching process. Now, they identify a coach in any of the areas the participant desires; they are attached to the coach and the coach supervises whatever they do or whatever project they want to embark on.

After the coaching process they would have completed the three requirements for a completion certificate and they will be awarded that. At the end of the certificate, they are now certified gender-based specialists and they can carry out their own training and work in the field. They now belong to the community of practice.

How do you get the participants?

There is call for application that is put out before the programme actually starts. A team of specialists from AUN and UNPPA choose the participants. They come from different professions. The minimum requirement is a first degree. Once you have that you are entitled to apply. The procedure to pick participants is really hectic because for 20 slots, you have sometimes over 600 applicants. Now, you look at the sectors they come from; and then you also look at their motivational statements.

So, most of them are already involved in the area or on the subject matter but need training. For instance, in the last cohort, we had participants from the Police Force. Those things influence selection committee. They try to pick equally from the government sector, from non-governmental organisations; and then professionally they could pick lawyers, doctors, they could pick teachers – as long as you show in your motivational statement that you work in the sector or that you have an interest in going into the sector, it would influence whether you are picked or not.

How do you measure the impact of your programme or are there some mechanisms in place to monitor what those you have trained do or to what extent they deploy the competences acquired?

When the participants are registered, we put them in our learning management system in AUN. Now, at the end of the two weeks’ training, they are asked to give us an action plan for the next six months. In that action plan; depending on the organisation, they have the various things they want to do. Some of them would engage in a step-down training; some would engage in sensitisation in their communities- different things. Now, they are being monitored by the facilitators and the coaches in that period to ensure they accomplish what is in their action plan for the next six months. Also, because we are technology-conscious, we have a WhatsApp group. So, we monitor them there. You only leave the WhatsApp group if you have completed what you pledged to do in your action plan and also if you desire to get the certificate of completion if you have completed the stages or steps; then you exit the group. So, we constantly monitor them even with calls. I am still in touch with some people from cohort one; especially those who have not completed any of their stages.

Does it mean you no longer monitor their progress after they must have completed their stages and exited the WhatsApp group?

They go on to the community of practice. We as facilitators may not be able to monitor their progress but the community of practice will be able to do that; except it is someone that is no longer interested in the area. But there is support at every stage.

When is your next programme likely going to take place?

There are two cohorts every year. So, next year there will be two cohorts, as the situation permits, not in terms of funding, but if we are not hit by another pandemic that would prevent us from having a physical cohort – there are normally two cohorts every year.

May we know for how long UNFPA would be funding the programme through AUN?

We don’t know for how many years. We have a memorandum of understanding with UNFPA and that will be renewed if the current one expires, but my authority for saying they are interested is based on the meeting they had with the president where they commended this course, and saying that the modus operandi of the American University highlighted that it was the best so far in courses they have been so involved in, and that they would want the partnership to continue. So, that indicates to me that there would be continuity.

We have discovered that despite numerous interventions, gender-based violence has continued to be a serious issue in society; how do you react to this?

Well, I think that our involvement may have been a bottom-top approach; that’s why this capacity development course or this capacity-building course is different, because it involves or adopting a bottom-top approach by training those that are actually in the field. Now, the elimination of gender-based violence transcends just having a sensitisation. There are some deep-rooted stereotypes from which violence arises. I remember the last time I was facilitating a course, most of the people in the room, legal practitioners, had some deep-rooted stereotypes that even after that course, we couldn’t come to an agreement that, ‘O, this is a stereotype which we need to eliminate’. So, it transcends sensitisation; it is something that (though a gradual process for now) the more we train the capacity of people, the more they can appreciate that this needs to change. So, for instance, while we did not have something like a gender desk before in the police organisation, now we do. So, it is a gradual process and everyone just needs to contribute his/her quota. The statistics may make us feel discouraged; yet, we wouldn’t fold our hands to let that continue.