The foundation in a statement to mark this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, disclosed that its peace map recorded at least, 490 incidents of violence against women and girls between 2015 and 2023.
The Gender Desk Officer of PIND, Yemi Omire, in a statement, yesterday, disclosed that this year alone, there are reported cases of rape, witchcraft-related violence, domestic abuse, girl-child molestation, and targeted ritual killings, posing significant threats to human and women’s security with potential socio-economic and political repercussions.
She said that the 2023 commemoration of the 16 days of activism, PIND which has been in the forefront of addressing the challenge in the region in collaboration with local organisations remains committed to continuing these efforts.
According to her, in line with the sub-theme for the commemoration this year, ‘Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women & Girls in the Niger Delta Region’, PIND is working with six female-headed organisations to conduct targeted awareness campaigns, skills acquisition, and capacity-building activities.
The organisations include the South-South Professional Women Association(SSPWA) in Edo State, the Women Empowerment Education and Peace Building Initiative (WEPBI) in Imo State, and the Development Initiative for Community Impact (DICI) in Delta. Others include the Women and Community Livelihood Foundation (WOCLIF) in Akwa Ibom State and the Betterliving Foundation and Capacity Development (BEFCAD) in Ondo State.
Also, this year, PIND has included Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in all the activities and has engaged the Freky Andrew-Essien Care Foundation in Rivers State (PWD), which will collaborate with other PWD-focused organisations to address issues affecting them in line with the campaign theme. The initiative aims to mobilize collective actions to prevent VAWG, empower women, and enhance the economic security and safety of PWDs.
The 16 days of activism, which began on November 25, includes some campaigns and activities by PIND’s partner organizations.
