By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
In a continued effort to protect vulnerable women from gender-based violence, GBV, the Concerned Women International Development Initiative, CWIDI, with support from the French Embassy Fund, FEF, has empowered Adolescent Girls and Young Women, AGYW, including female sex workers, FSWs, through a two-day legal awareness workshop in Benue State.
Held on Monday in Makurdi, the workshop was themed “Empowering Voices, Strengthening Legal Awareness and GBV Reporting” which brought together 30 participants committed to learning how to recognize, respond to, and report human rights violations, especially those related to GBV.
Becky Gbihi, Senior Programme Officer at CWIDI, emphasized the organization’s unwavering commitment to defending the rights of all women, regardless of age, background, or occupation.
She noted that the initiative was designed to educate AGYW and FSWs on their legal rights and equip them with practical knowledge on how to seek justice when those rights are violated.
“Many vulnerable women do not know where to turn when they face abuse,” Gbihi said, adding that often, they approach the police and are discouraged by the response they receive and insisted that this silence must be broken.
“Through this workshop, we aim to equip young women with the confidence, knowledge, and tools they need to report abuse and assert their rights under Nigerian law.” She emphasized.
Human rights lawyer Justin Gbagir, in a paper presentation, provided a detailed overview of the forms and consequences of GBV.
He explained that gender-based violence goes beyond physical abuse, adding that it includes sexual exploitation, rape, coercion, forced anal sex, child marriage, human trafficking, and denial of job opportunities based on gender.
Gbagir also highlighted psychological and emotional abuse, such as name-calling, degradation, confinement, and social isolation.