By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
As part of engagements with stakeholders in the fight against gender-based violence, the United States Agency for International Development USAID State2state, on Wednesday held physical engagement at the Kebbi state college of nursing Birnin Kebbi.
Speaking during the one day engagement, the agency’s head of gender and social inclusion, Mrs Ejiro Okotie, said the rationale behind the physical engagement with stakeholders in Kebbi state is to know how far they have gone in their response, approach and actions against gender based violence which which affects not only women and girls including boys.
She stressed that, the 16 days activism against gender based violence by state2state has been on through all their social media handles raising awareness on the menace calling for collective action.
“We are here in Kebbi state to commemorate the day through physical engagement with our stakeholders to get their response, approach and actions against gender based violence, we also need practical solutions not mere words”.
Ejiro said that the fight against gender based violence include people with disabilities and minor ethnic tribes across the state.
In her opening speech, the Commissioner for Women Affairs Kebbi state, Hajiya Halima Hassan Kamba, said fight against gender based violence is total in Kebbi state with the government providing support to victims and even went as far creating special courts for trials of perpetrators and were all brought to book while the government rehabilitates victims to stem stigmatisation that comes with it.
“We thank state2state for the physical engagement; you remain our partners in the fight against gender violence. On our part, we will ensure inclusiveness and prompt action in reported cases of gender based violence which even boys can fall victims of sexual or moral violence “.