Group sensitises rural women to dangers of GBV, harmful practices

Ada Ojiriver Optimal Communications Limited (AOOCL), an Advocacy group, has sensitised more than 200 rural women in Enugu to the dangers of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and some harmful cultural practices.

The women were drawn from Mbulu Owo and Ahani Amechi Idodo in Nkanu East and Oji River Council Areas of Enugu State.

The sensitisation has “Community Action Against Anti-Women Cultural Practices and Sexual and GBV for Rural Women in Enugu State.”

Speaking at the event on Monday in Enugu, the Executive Director of AOOCL, Onyinye Udeh, said the sensitisation was part of efforts to empower women with knowledge and encourage collective action against traditions that perpetuate gender inequality and abuse.

Udeh, the convener of Ọgbakọ Ụmụada, a women advocacy forum, emphasised the need for women to recognise and challenge cultural norms that constitute GBV.

She said “many harmful practices are so normalised that people don’t even recognise them as abuse.

“Our goal is to create awareness and ensure that women in rural communities understand their rights and break the culture of silence.”

Udeh identified some of the practices to include male child preference, denial of inheritance, lack of access to education and economic empowerment, widowhood maltreatment and sexual violence.

The executive director highlighted the role of traditional and religious leaders in addressing the issues.

Chief Virginia Obianyo, the Programme Officer at the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) Nigeria, underscored the vulnerability of women, particularly widows, in patriarchal societies.

According to her, a woman without a child suffers the most when her husband dies, adding that people must continue to challenge these norms and demand a society where women are valued and protected.

She urged women to actively participate in decision-making processes within their communities and advocate for their rights while maintaining respect in their homes.

A Legal Practitioner, Nnenna Anozie, educated the participants on their legal rights, citing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015, which she said had been domesticated in Enugu State.

She distributed an Igbo translation of the VAPP Act to women and encouraged them to report cases of abuse, rather than shield perpetrators.

“Your rights are protected under the law. Do not keep silent, report cases of abuse to the authorities,” she advised.

Earlier in a remark, the Traditional Ruler of Ahani, Amechi Idodo, Igwe Hyacinth Edeani, called for reforms in cultural practices to reflect modern realities.

Edeani noted that some traditions must evolve and as such, families should share inheritance among their children, regardless of gender.

He recalled a tragic case from the past where a woman’s twins were killed due to cultural beliefs, leaving her childless for life.

Stella Ani, a GBV Survivor from Ahani, Amechi Idodo, shared her experience of abuse and rejection, highlighting the importance of awareness.

She said “I am a divorcee, and my family once rejected me after I left an abusive marriage. Today, I stand here stronger because I found support.”

The event featured the inauguration of a community-based network of women leaders who will continue the advocacy within their communities.