The Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Kafanchan, Kaduna State, has taken the campaign to end violence against women and girls to schools as part of activism against gender based violence.
The 16-day activism against Gender Based Violence (GBV) is an annual global campaign that kicked off on Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs till Dec. 10 Human Rights Day.
The centre, in collaboration with the Centre for Integrated Health Programme, took the campaign to Government Secondary School (GSS) and Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) in Kafanchan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the global theme for this year’s campaign is “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now.”
At GSS Kafanchan, the Centre Manager, Mrs Grace Abbin, told the students that violence against women manifests itself in physical, sexual and psychological forms.
Abbin decried the increased rate of violence against women, noting that it remained an obstacle to achieving equality as well as fulfillment of women’s and girls’ rights.
She noted that while gender based violence could also happen to men and boys, women and girls were most vulnerable.
According to her, the centre recorded 70 cases of sexual assault, mostly against women and girls in Kafanchan in the month of October alone.
Speaking, the Centre Physician, Dr Gideon Goje, encouraged victims to overlook the issue of stigma and report to the centre for help, as the after effects of sexual assault were worse than stigma.
Goje advised the victims to always report to the centre within 72 hours of being abused, to enable medical experts extract the key ingredients needed to secure conviction of offenders.
In his remarks, the GSS Principal, Mr Simon Yusuf, thanked the centre for extending the campaign to schools in Kafanchan.
Yusuf enjoined the students to use the knowledge acquired to make the society violence free and better for all.
The high point of the campaign was a debate by the students on whether or not indecent dressing was a justification for rape.
The campaign against gender based violence was replicated by the centre at Government Girls Secondary School.
NAN reports that the centre is one of four in the state where victims of rape and other gender-based violence receive free counseling, medical and optional legal interventions. (NAN)
