BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A non-profit civil rights organisation, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, has sensitised women chiefs and leaders of market women in Osun State on how they can collaborate and take actions against sexual and gender-based violence in the state.
The workshop, tagged, “Building Community Level Accountability Mechanisms and Enhance Collaboration Between Association/Council of Iyalode and Iyaloja in Addressing Gender Based Violence in Osun State,” was held in Osogbo on Friday with 100 participants in attendance.
The Deputy Director of WARDC, Mary George Peluola, while making a presentation on, “Understanding the Concept Dynamics and Gender Equality,” said the workshop was supported by Ford Foundation, and that parents should ensure that there was gender balance and equality among their wards.
Also addressing the women leaders on their roles in response to SGBV in their communities, a lawyer, Ayoola Olusegun, asked them not to shield violators but report them to law enforcement agencies and traditional rulers for necessary actions.
There was a live radio programme that served as media engagement/town hall meeting of other residents of the state who interacted with the Iyalode and Iyaloja on ways to tackle gender-based violence.
Addressing The Point after the programme, Peluola said, “With the support of Ford Foundation, we organised a workshop and had a livestream radio programme to reach out to other residents in various communities across the three senatorial districts of Osun State. So, it was a two-way thing; one is going to sensitise these women at the community level and the live radio will sensitise other listeners at home.
“We have women council chiefs in Osun State. When we say women council chiefs, I mean the Iyalode and Iyaloja at the state level. We sensitised all the women council chiefs across the local government areas. The essence is to build a kind of community level accountability, and to enhance synergy between the two associations in the council chiefs so that they can form one voice against gender-based violence.
“We know that in addressing gender-based violence, women can play a big role in terms of putting an end to this menace and that is why we are sensitising and exposing them to various sexual and gender-based violence issues, acts of impunity, gender-based violations that are happening around them. We trained them on how they will be able to take actions against such acts. We also want them to form a collaboration and speak with one voice against gender discrimination, domestic violence, wife battery, and any act that is against women in any form, especially against girls that are just growing up.
“Once we are able to do this, it will spread even to the men and boys and our society will be free from violence. Because they are parts of the traditional councils in their respective communities, they will be able to sensitise the traditional rulers and engage them. For instance, in some of the states we have engaged, they set up committees within the traditional councils of Obas to address issues of gender-based violence.”
“There was a community where they were raping old women and children and the Oba ordered that anyone who engaged in such menace would be excommunicated and that led to the stoppage of the barbaric acts,” she disclosed.
Meanwhile, the participants spoke on various strategies they would apply in their respective communities to tackle SGBV while lamenting the surge in the menace.
In her remarks, Mrs Stella Toyinawo, the President of Iyalodes in Osun State, lauded the organisation for the workshop and assured that they would cooperate with other women in the communities to launch a virile campaign against SGBV.
Similarly, Mrs Bunmi Oyebode, the Iyaloja General of Osun State, promised to mobilise other market women across the state to rise against the unlawful acts.
