Expert educates PWDs on sexual and gender-based violence (Photos)

THE Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD- Lagos Chapter) was the focus of the Community Capacity Building Programme for Civil Society Organisations and Right Groups on SGBV Referral Services that held on Tuesday, under the Spotlight Initiative Project organised by Project Alert on Violence Against Women.

The event took place at the Simply Exponential Hub, Ikeja.

JONAPWD members pose with the Executive Director and Founder of Project Alert, Dr Josephine Effah-Chukwuma

Present at the programme were executive officials from different PWD associations like National Association of the Blind (NAB), Lagos State Albinism Awareness, Disabled and Physically Challenged Persons, Deaf Women Association and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

During the exercise, Executive Director and Founder of Project Alert, Dr. (Mrs.) Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, educated the attendees on the "Prevalence of Sexual & Gender-Based Violence in Communities and Steps to Take Including Referrals".

 Dr Effah-Chukwuma educating Persons with Disabilities

She revealed that women with disabilities are more prone to sexual and gender-based violence. Based on her findings during her research in Akwa Ibom and Cross-River States, these women usually have a low life-span due to the challenges of discrimination, abandonment and emotional stress amongst others.

Dr. Effah-Chukwuma informed the PWDs that sexual and gender-based violence against men and women is real and that there are services to help in such situations. She implored them to speak up if they are victims of such circumstance, or if they get wind of such occurrence. This made the hall resonate with the "see something, say something" mantra.

A man with hearing impairment asking Dr Effah-Chukwuma a question with the help of an instructor
 

Speaking with AlimoshoToday on the significance of the Spotlight Initiative Project (SIP) for PWDs, Effah-Chukwuma sais the organisation intends to leave no one behind and the disability community is a recognised community.

“It is important that they are exposed to these issues and that they understand it. In fact, they are more affected in the community, especially their women. Because of the disability, people tend to abuse them more. Everyone is entitled to fundamental human rights, including the right not to be tortured and violated." 

Dr  Effah-Chukwuma educating persons with disabilities while an instructor uses sign language to reach out to people with hearing impairment
 
The State Chairman of the National Executive of Disabled and Physically Challenged Persons, Mr Dare Dairo, expressed his satisfaction at the capacity building programme in his conversation with AlimoshoToday: "I'm happy that this initiative is coming up at this time because the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act has been passed into law. The agency saddled with the responsibility of setting up and enforcing the law has also been set up. Therefore, engagements like this will ensure that the important issues are kept in the view of the commission.

A cross-section of persons with disabilities during the programme

"So far, it's been about human right and the constitutional rights of people with disabilities. Now, we have that. Salient issues like sexual and gender-based violence are very critical. After poverty, I think that's the next thing to look at, as it affects persons with disabilities in our society.

"I'm particularly impressed about this because this is enlightening. In the case of sexual violence, we now know what to do. The checklist has been given and I think this is highly commendable. I wish them more success and hopefully there will be more of it."

A woman with visual impairment introducing herself during the programme
 
In response to the achievement of Project Alert in the past 21 years, Dr. Effah-Chukwuma told AlimoshoToday that the organisation's major success is its ability to create profound awareness.

"The prominence of domestic and sexual violence as garnered today can be attributed to organisations like ours. When we started, people were not talking and we have broken the silence. Anti-sexual and gender-based violence has tremendously grown as opposed to 21 years ago. That we have even moved it to the disability community is an attestation to that."

The Financial Secretary of Lagos State Awareness Albinism Society, Mrs. Adudu Rose, equally gave thumbs up to the programme saying: "The programme is very exposing. We have learnt much and the only thing left is for us to pass the information to our members. We will enlighten them so that they will know what to do at the right time. When there are issues, they should know the right authorities to report to that will help them."

Dr Josephine Effah-Chukwuma and the six-person surveillance team
 

During the programme, six persons (three men and three women) were selected for the SGBV Community Surveillance across the five associations present at the capacity-building programme. They will serve as watchdogs in their various communities on issues regarding sexual and gender-based violence.