As part of effort to reduce Gender Based Violence in Kogi state, a Non Governmental Organization, Chachavivi Women and Girl Child Foundation has trained fifteen males as champions to disseminate knowledge in their respective communities in the state.
The men after training are expected to perform their responsibilities in Adavi, Kogi and Igalamela local government areas of the state to end Gender Bases Violence.
In her welcome address during a one day training programme in Lokoja, organized by the Foundation to end Gender Based Violence in Kogi State, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of the Foundation Halima Oiza Sadiq, said the negative effects of gender violence on women and girl child has become a source concern to communities.
She stated that the foundation in partnership with the National Women Trust funded by Ford Foundation has identified community influencers in Adavi, Kogi and Igalamela local government areas of the state as implementing sites.
According to her, youth leaders, religion, community leaders and security agents across community has been identified , noting that they would be trained as Gender based violence champions in their respective communities as the first responders expected to take action in order to end gender based violence.
“The training as part of the project activities would create an opportunity to build community structures capacity as Gender based violence champions on the basics of gender based violence, dangers of gender based violence, mitigations and their roles as community responders to end gender based violence as they influence their peers positively” she said.
She stated that the 15 men, five each drawn from the three implementing local government areas would disseminate knowledge acquired from the training to the people in their respective communities and urged them to be of good morals in order to discharge their duties effectively .
She charged the participants to participate and bring out their community specific gender based violence issues as they learn to prevent and respond.
In a presentation, Friday Ogazi, a development expert, described gender based violence as an issue that must be tackled headlong as it is becoming a canker worm in the society, urged the participants to serve as worthy ambassadors and champions in tacking GBV in there communities.