The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has engaged in- and out-of-school girls in life-building skills in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria.
The adolescent girls selected from 18 communities in Ebonyi and Abakaliki local government areas were also coached on how to avoid gender-based violence, including early marriage and its consequences.
The three-day programme held in Abakaliki was organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) with support from UNICEF as part of the 2021 days of activism.
Ebonyi State, according to the national demographic health survey 2018 is the 3rd leading state in female genital mutilation (FGM) practice in the country.
As a result, UNICEF has decided to engage the young girls as the practice is a phenomenal one that requires upcoming generations to campaign against.
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UNICEF child specialist Enugu field office, Victor Atuchukwu during the training noted that the young girls were being imparted the knowledge to enable them to drive down the message to their peers in the school, church, clubs, and other places including their communities as GBV drivers.
Victor Atuchukwu noted that to stop GBV, survivors need to speak up and become change agents. He advised them not to be disrespectful to the elders while taking down the message to the grassroots.
“FGM is prevalent, Ebonyi state being the 3rd ranking, highest in the country in the prevalence of FGM at 53.2 percent according to the national demographic health survey of 2018 among other issues of gender-based violence, rape, intimate partner violence, and all that. So it is time to engage the young girls as part of activism to end all forms of violence against women and girls,” he said.
“The training is to build their capacity to become change agents as peer educators. We want them to know what they need to tell their peers in the school, in the village, in church, and in their club. We are building their capacity on GBV, life skills, assertiveness, communication, negotiation, refusal, and all that they require to stand up, speak up about violence, and report it as change agents in their community.”
Contributing, UNICEF FGM consultant for Imo and Ebonyi State, Benjamin Mbakwem urged the adolescent girls to note that the decision they make will help them in the future and, therefore, should keep off things that could ruin their future especially gender-based violence-related issues.
