By Austin Angwe, Makurdi
Participants at a two- day workshop organised by Concerned Women International Development Initiative, CWIDI, on the theme; Enhancing Protection from Gender- Based Violence, GBV, for vulnerable populations especially the female sex workers, FSWs, have lauded efforts of the NGO for championing the cause of vulnerable women in the society including the female sex workers who are almost condemned and forgotten by the society based on their type of business.
Making the commendation while speaking separately during interaction at a workshop held on Wednesday at KINGS INN Ltd in Gboko, Benue State, some of the participants all female sex workers including Queen, Anita, Mercy and Precious admitted that the exercise has exposed them to knowledge of their fundamental rights, what should be viewed as gender- based violence, sexual harassment, police brutality as well as what should be done when confronted with such challenges.
They acknowledged that the workshop has equally educated them on not just knowing their rights but also what to do when such rights are violated by calling for help at the right time, describing the programme as eye-opening and organisers as professionals.
The participants who expressed appreciation to CWIDI for organising the workshop which they noted has exposed them to a number of new things, appealed to the NGO to ensure that similar exercises are organized frequently so that more people especially the vulnerable groups in the society will benefit and called on other organizations to emulate CWIDI.
In a paper presentation titled; Understanding Gender, Women’s Right and Gender- Based Violence,Bar Justin Gbagir while highlighting the objectives of the workshop which is to improve knowledge of existing legal provisions for protection from gender- based violence among female sex workers, identified certain act of violence such as a man forcing a woman to have sex with her through the anus, sucking his penis or insisting to suck a woman’s breast against her consent, arguing however, that both man and women could suffer gender- based violence depending on the circumstances, advising women especially the female sex workers who suffer such violence not to keep silent but speak out.
He said it was the intention of the NGO that the vulnerable population including female sex workers, FSWs, know that they have the same rights as human beings and are equal before God, explaining that it is the things which are wrong that the law proscribed punishment for and insisted that female sex work is not an offense in law, therefore anyone practising the business has not committed an offense and should be treated with dignity.
Gbagir who said CWIDI’s advocacy is for all women which is why the organization have designed a programme meant to educate the sex workers, challenged practitioners to take the workshop seriously, expressing optimism that the exercise would help them know their rights when they suffer violence such as sexual harassment, customer battery, police brutality and how to defend themselves in the cause of their transactions as well as seek redress lawfully.
In an opening remark, Senior Programme Officer,Mrs Becky Gbihi noted that CWIDI envisaged a world that is free from Gender inequality where human rights of every individual especially the vulnerable population is guaranteed, explaining that the desire of the NGO is to also ensure that no woman die or suffer deprivation for any reason and stressed the reason why their programmes capture female sex workers who are also women with the law not criminalising their business.
She encouraged women especially the vulnerable groups such as the female sex workers who often suffer violence to speak out, stressing that their feedback will help the organization to design programmes that would help improve their living conditions.