NG-CARES has held a three-day step-down training on gender-based violence (GBV) in Asaba, Delta state, and called for the elimination of gender-based violence in Nigeria.

Participants were drawn from nine states, including the host Delta, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Abia, Imo and Bayelsa states.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Chairman, Delta State Cares Steering Committee, Sonny Akporokiamo said the training couldn’t have come at a better time given the reoccurring global discourse on the need to take Gender-Based Violence and issues more seriously.

He commended the Federal CARES Support Unit (FCSU) for the initiative, while expressing the hope.

Also speaking, National Coordinator, NG-CARES, Dr. Obaje Abdulkarim, noted that in accordance with one of the requirements of the world bank, every programme should be gender sensitive and that was why the participants are gender related programme officers, adding that the essence was to prepare them to have the capacity to deliver on gender result based.

The national coordinator, who was represented by Dr Mrs Uju Nwosu, Senior Grievance Mechanism Federal Cares Support Unit, NG-CARES programme, noted that gender issues are very important in development intervention as they are part of grading of programmes such that if a programme is seen as not gender sensitive, such programme might be cancelled.

The coordinator observed that women and other vulnerable groups are very weak and except there is a deliberate effort to bring them in people will continue to exclude them.
“Trainings like this are now helping people to develop the capacity they need to ensure women and other vulnerable groups are included in programmes. It is called social inclusion.”

The national coordinator expressed the belief that the experience gathered from the participants from the training will be domesticated at the various states and to the various local governments.

Others, who spoke in the same vein include Dr Esther Terdoo Awa, Project Officer, Gender and Vulnerable, Cross Rivers State Community and Social Development Agency and Mrs Chinyere Elendu, Gender Consultant Imo Community and Social Development Agency.