The EU-UN Spotlight Initiative project geared towards ending violence against children, violence against women and girls and gender based violence, has trained members of its community structures in Calabar South local government area of Cross River State.
The project which is implemented by the Cross River State Ministry of Justice with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), seeks to address cases of sexual and gender based violence in some selected local government areas in the state.
Speaking at the conclusion of the 2-day training, a representative of Spotlight Initiative, Williams Arikpo, who also supervised the training of Community Structures on prevention and response to VAC, VAWG and GBV in Calabar South, said “it was a follow up training from the training of trainers that held about three weeks ago at NAKS Hotel, where representatives from communities in Akamkpa, Odukpani, Obanliku, Calabar Municipality, Calabar South and some members of the state team came together to receive training on prevention and response to VAC, VAWG and GBV.
“As part of efforts to ensure that there’s community response to cases of child abuse and violence against women and gender based violence, there was need to train people from their natural roots.
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“The 2-day training in Calabar South had 48 participants from different community structures, and they were trained intensively.”
He described the training as elaborate and enlightening, adding that “participants shared experience freely and were grouped in sessions. There were opportunities to ask questions. The topic that were discussed included, child protection, legal instrument supporting women and children, case management, roles of community structures.
“Members of the community structures were informed about the roles they are going to play within their communities to ensure that violence against women and children is put to an end.
“At the end of the day they did mapping of the resources that they have in their communities and also develop work plan of what they are going to be do to ensure that violence against children, violence against women and girls, as well as gender based violence completely come to an end in their communities.”
