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Youths pledge fight against gender-based violence

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By Adeola Ogunlade

Over 30 youths in lkorodu and Yaba areas in Lagos state have reiterated their commitment toward ending the spate of gender based violence in their communities.

The youths made this pledge at the Male Engagement Programme for Gender Base Violence and Sexual Harassment and Reproductive Health organised by The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).

It is an Initiative by the European Union and United Nations being implemented by The African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD).

The youths were drawn from different youth groups, humanitarian organisations, religious and traditional institutions.

The Commandant of the War Against Indiscipline, Yaba Local Council Development Area, Adetayo Kehinde said the major form of sexual gender base violence in Makoko is wife beating and it is due to poor communication between the couple, and to some, it is form of corrective measures to women who offend or disobey their husbands.

Kehinde, who is also a Youth Leader in Makoko also said that rape cases and other traditional harmful practices on the Island in Makoko have been on the increase over the years which require all stakeholders’ engagement in the fight against this menace.

He said that rape is a form of energizer in the community and we will engage traditional and religious institutions to change their orientation and communicate effectively through their local languages on the need to help in the fight against rape and ensure behavioral change toward gender base violence in the community.

A volunteer with The Nigeria Red Cross, Makoko, lshola Adebayo, said that effective collaboration with law enforcement agencies has helped to deter a lot of men in Makoko community from engaging in gender base violence which will be strengthen to make the community free of gender and sexual base violence.

Also speaking at the event, former youth representative of Lagos State Youth Ambassador, Ikorodu Division, Shote Anuoluwapo pledged his support toward the fight against gender base violence by collaboration with existing community base organizations to drive home the advocacy around ending gender base violence in Ikorodu.

He added that door to door awareness on the dangers of sexual and gender base violence in the community will also be explored.

Anuoluwapo stated further that gender base violence in Ikorodu will be addressed when we give women a voice and a platform to share their experience and get help.

“We will engaged more non-governmental organisations to provide spaces for women to share their experience and success stories and that platform will be explore to support themselves”, he said.

The Project Coordinator of LSD, Vincent Dania said that the programme was to engage youths leaders in Ikorodu and Makoko communities on what they can do using their platforms toward the elimination and prevention of all forms of sexual and gender based violence in the communities.

He said that from research carried out by the organization shows that there are various forms of gender based violence that are prevalence in these two communities which include emotional abuse, wife beating, economic abuse, child marriage, psychological and verbal abuse, sex for grade employment, forceful action into gangs and child defilement.

He stressed that the fight against gender base violence in these communities can be effective if young men in these communities take ownership of the fight and put in place advocacy mechanism supported by LSD to help in the fight against gender based violence.

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