By Gabriel Chy Alonta
As part of activities marking the 16-days activism, one of the RoLAC teams, on Friday, December 3, 2021, took sensitization campaign on gender-based violence to Eziagu and Umunze communities, all in Orumba South local government area of Anambra State.
The team was led by Mrs. Uju Onyendilefu, who called for immediate end to violence against women. She explained to her audience the need to report any violation against women by breaking the culture of silence often seen in most communities. She seized the opportunity to urge the President-General, Barr. Earnest Chukwuma Obi, to institute “Commmunity Response Team/Vanguards”, to address violence at the grassroots.
Other speakers, Hope Okoye, Mr. Peter Onyegiri, Barr. Ifiora Chidozie, Barr. Nkolika Ebede, took turns to sensitise the audience on availability of legal aid services, rights of women, gender-related cases, among others.
Responding, Barr. Obi, assured his willingness and readiness to partner, support RoLAC to actualize the inauguration of community response team on gender-based violence to end all forms of violence and criminality against women. He thanked the team for the gesture, and called on the community members to take advantage of the sensitisation to ensure that violence against women and girl-child is eliminated.
Mrs. Ngozi Okeke, RoLAC Consultant on CSOs, had, in a vote of thanks, encouraged participants to always report cases of violence against women instead of keeping silence for fear of stigmatisation. He warned them against being intimidated or cowed into keeping silence by perpetrators of violence against women.
Mrs. Ugochi Freeman, Mr. Vincent Ughasoro, Yohanna Rachel and Gabriel Chy Alonta, were part of the team who took the sensitisation campaign to Eziagu.
In a related development, Enugwu-Ukwu, a community in Njikoka local government area of Anambra state, warmly receive the message of hope targeted at eliminating gender-based violence and other obnoxious practices against women.
The women, through their market leader at Nkwo Market, lauded the sensitisation campaign and called on other women to key into the initiative.
Once again, the RoLAC team was led by Mrs. Uju Onyendilefu, alongside Hope Okoye and Barr. Ifiora Chidozie, who took turns to sensitise the passionate audience.
The trio, in separate speeches, reiterated call to end gender-based violence against women, and encouraged their audience to ensure they report any gender-related case.
The team also implored the market women to take advantage of ‘NTASI’ Centre located at Enugwu-Ukwu General Hospital should there be any defilement case in the community. “Be assured of our support and that of the state government as we make effort to get rid of the state, all forms of violence and marginalisation against women”, the team leaders enthused.
In separate speeches, the women promised to start reporting such gender-related cases, while expressing optimism that such cases when reported, would be treated to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.