By Abubakar Rabilu, Gombe
The Centre for the Study and Resolution of Domestic Violence (CERSDOV) has extended its grassroots campaign on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to Akko and Billiri Local Government Areas of Gombe State.
The initiative is being implemented with support from the Norwegian Government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as part of efforts to strengthen reproductive health rights and combat gender-based violence in communities.
Speaking at Kumo Central Primary School in Akko, CERSDOV Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Hussaini Momoh Lawal, said the outreach aimed to assess the impact of ongoing SRHR-GBV interventions following a series of community-level trainings.
He urged women to challenge cultural barriers and contribute to building a safer environment for women and adolescent girls.
Also speaking, CERSDOV ambassador and State Counsel at the Ministry of Justice, Mwalin Naomi Abdu, stressed that parents, government, and religious as well as community leaders must work collectively to end gender-based violence.
In Akko, trained ambassadors acknowledged that the programme had improved their knowledge and skills in addressing GBV and SRHR issues. They added that they were engaging women and girls more frequently on how to respond to such cases while promoting economic independence.
The Chairman of Da’awa in Akko, Mamman Alhaji Buba, and the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Akko, Pastor Barnabas Yakubu Faruq, commended the programme.
They emphasized the need for more men, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to get involved in order to consolidate the progress made.
At the Billiri Local Government Secretariat, women reported that cases of rape and domestic violence had declined significantly, attributing the progress to continuous awareness and enlightenment campaigns spearheaded by CERSDOV with the backing of the Norwegian Government and UNFPA.