UNFPA, Cross River Partner to Tackle Gender-Based Violence

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in partnership with the Cross River State Ministry of Women Affairs, has intensified efforts to end sexual and gender-based violence and promote sexual and reproductive health rights among refugees and host communities in the state.

The intervention featured a three-day community dialogue held from November 4 to 6, 2026, in Adagom I, Adagom III and Ukende refugee settlements in Ogoja Local Government Area, as part of activities commemorating the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.

Speaking during the engagement, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Edema Irom, who also represented the wife of the governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, said refugees and members of their host communities deserved equal attention, protection and access to essential services.

She said the discussions had exposed gaps requiring urgent attention, particularly in advocacy, skills development, community awareness and the design of empowerment programmes that reflect beneficiaries’ actual needs.

Irom cautioned development partners against distributing empowerment materials without conducting proper needs assessments, citing instances where sewing machines and other items given to refugees were reportedly sold because beneficiaries lacked interest in the intended businesses. She said some communities might benefit more from agricultural projects than tailoring or catering equipment.

The commissioner pledged that the ministry would study the outcome of the dialogue and strengthen engagement with refugee settlements and host communities, urging government agencies, civil society organisations and development partners to sustain capacity building and community awareness.

In a goodwill message, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Rita Eteng, said women and girls in vulnerable circumstances remained exposed to violence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination, stressing the need for stronger protection mechanisms and access to sexual and reproductive health services.
She called for improved referral pathways and an environment where survivors could report abuse without fear of stigma, adding that they deserved confidentiality, counselling, protection and compassionate treatment.

Also speaking, a representative of the Ministry of International Donor Coordination, Richard Idiong, said the dialogue was designed to address violence that often occurred silently within homes, refugee settlements and host communities.

Idiong identified rape, wife battering, forced marriage and economic deprivation as forms of gender-based violence, noting that poverty and fear of family separation often discouraged survivors from reporting abuse. He urged victims to speak out and encouraged men and boys to become protectors rather than perpetrators.

He also proposed the establishment of community GBV watch groups comprising refugees and members of host communities to sustain sensitisation and facilitate the reporting of cases after the dialogue.

The Save the Children International Programme Coordinator, Franklin Uzo, said the organisation had partnered with the state Ministry of Women Affairs since 2017, when it commenced its refugee response activities in Cross River.

Uzo said Save the Children International handled the technical aspects of the engagement and provided facilitators for the gender-based violence and sexual and reproductive health sessions. He, however, identified inadequate funding and logistical support as challenges affecting the implementation of interventions.

The traditional ruler of Adagom, Chief Henry Adagom, said the community had established rules against gender-based violence and maintained collaboration with refugee leaders and development organisations to prevent abuse and report cases for appropriate intervention.

The youth leader of the refugee community, Tanye Thomas, appreciated the state government, UNFPA, the Ministry of Women Affairs and other development partners for their support for women and girls in the settlements, particularly through awareness programmes and interventions aimed at protecting vulnerable persons.

He called for sustained collaboration, empowerment opportunities and improved access to essential services to ensure that women and girls in refugee and host communities could live safely and exercise their rights without discrimination.

The community dialogue was organised by UNFPA in partnership with the Cross River State Ministry of Women Affairs, with Save the Children International providing technical support and facilitating the sessions.

Photo : A cross section of the participants at the dialogue session at Ukende in Ogoja LGA