GBV: NGOs sensitise school girls, distribute reusable pads, toiletries

A coalition of NGOs on Thursday took their sensitisation campaings against Gender-based Violence (GVB) to Queen Ameena School girls in Kaduna.

The exercise came on the platform of 16 days activism, promoting awareness about the menace against girls, and women.

The coalition also distributed reusable sanitary napkins, toiletries and school bags to some of the school girls.

The Global 16 Days Campaign is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls.

The campaign runs every year from Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to Dec. 10, being Human Rights Day.

Mr Amos Kadashi, the Executive Director of Kadashi Initiatives, said the school girls, being empowered with information on GBV and how to handle it, were much needed especially at an era of multiple societal and moral degradation.

He said monetary and psychosocial support would subsequently be given to some of the girls, who were in need, through the school management, to heal their challenges.

“These support will make sure the children are better accademically,” he said.

Kadashi said their choice of Queen Amina School was because it was a girls and unity school, and one of the biggest in Kaduna, where the students came from across the 36 states.

Also, Amina Abdulraheem, the Programme Officer, North West Regional Office for Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), said sensitising the girls was because they were more vulnerable in the society.

She noted that the girls were vulnerable to sexual GBV.

She said creating awareness by sensitising the girls and equiping them with the right information, would save their lives.

He said it would ensure they were able to detect if they were in unhealthy relationship and what to do and how to raise alarm if in danger.

Abdulraheem added that the sensitisation was also to build confidence in them on speaking up against all the forms of GBV.

“We also sensitise them to the right person to speak to in any unfortunate incidence of GBV and also how to protect themselves,” she said.

On her part, Haulat Ibrahim, the Founder of Haulem Teens Foundation, said during the course of their interaction with the girls, they noticed some of the challenges the girls were going through.

She noted that efforts must be collective to ensure the girls were seen through the challenges in and outside school environment.

“It is not all about the teachers alone, it is also about the family they came from.

“Without numerous observations at many outreaches in schools, the teachers carry the bulk load of shaping the students while their parents do and care less.

“Some of the parents are not helping issues, because by the time the NGOs impact on the children, when they get home it becomes a clash because the parents are not reformed and as such do not help the matters,” she said.

Ibrahim disclosed that the foundation would organise a seminar for parents in 2023, to educate them on some of the issues regarding GBV to avoid clash of knowledge between them and their children.

She called on parents to always listen to the complaints of their children and follow up, regardless of how the child had often lied.

“Some children do tell lies many at times, regardless, the parents should follow up even without the knowledge of the child to ensure being in the safer side as the case or issue unravel,” she said.

Halima-Sadiya Abbas, an Assistant Senior Prefect in the school, thanked the NGOs for choosing their school for the outreach.

She said the knowledge they gained would go a long way in assisting them in decision making and speaking up against all forms of GBV.

The school girls asked questions on grey areas they couldn’t comprehend while those who needed counselling were attended to individually.

The girls were also lectured on menstrual hygiene, molestation and self defence.