The Niger State Government has organized a two-day capacity-building workshop for members of the state’s GBV Management Committee.
The workshop, held in Minna, brought together stakeholders from relevant government agencies, civil society organizations, and law enforcement to enhance their knowledge and skills in GBV case management, multi-sectoral coordination, legislation as well as analysis of the GBV situation.
In her address, the Chairperson of the Niger State GBV Management Committee and First Lady of the state, Fatima Bago described the training as a timely step forward in the states ongoing efforts to combat gender-based violence.
“This training workshop is, without a doubt, long overdue. The urgency of the GBV crisis in our communities demands that we not only respond but respond with clarity, Competence and Coordination. For too long, our frontline responders and committee members have been operating with limited resources, fragmented systems, and inconsistent protocols.”
She equally stressed the need for synergy between stakeholders in addressing gender-based issues.
“The fight against GBV cannot be won by a single individual or agency. It requires synergy, compassion, skill, and an unrelenting commitment from all of us. This is why this workshop is so crucial,” she said.
Also speaking, the Commissioner, Niger State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Titi Auta, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hadiza Shiru said the training was part of the state government’s commitment to improving the protection and welfare of survivors.
Similarly, the Permanent Secretary, Niger State Ministry of Justice overseeing the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Barr Mairo Mann, said that the workshop would help equip participants with the resources and skills needed to fight the menace.
“We are happy that the 25 LGAs have women as their vice chairs and we know they will definitely champion this cause to make sure it gets to the grassroots.
“We expect that stakeholders will learn more, right more for issues of GBV and another one is increased awareness.”
She also raised concern over the rising cases of rape, particularly involving minors, as well as increasing rates of divorce in the state.
“We are more worried that the issue of rape which is a very big one that most now affects children of months and years, causes a lot of concern. The rate of divorce is also quite a number.”
The lead consultant for the workshop, Olutoyin Falade said “We’ll look at GBV holistically to understand the various dimensions, and root causes and also look at the aspect of the law, policies in the state, internationally and nationally.”
Participants, including Tasalla Jiya and Sani Garba both expressed optimism that the training would help boost their capacity to respond to such cases in their locales.
“After this workshop, I expect to have gained enough knowledge to be first responders of GBV cases and bring it down to the barest minimum,” Jiya said.
