NAWOJ Commemorates GBV Awareness Month, Extends Campaign to Markets in Akwa Ibom state

Hannah ARIKPO

  Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, Akwa Ibom chapter, has extended her activities against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), to Akpan Andem Market Community in Uyo local government area to commemorate the gende- based month in the state.

Addressing the market community, the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of NAWOJ, Comrade Nsikak Okon, who led members of the Association on the campaign stated: "a lot of men and women are going through one form of GBV or the other but it is never easy to speak up"

She explained that since people who are mostly affected by GBV do not have the necessary information and are not sensitised on how to tackle it, there is a need for their consciousness to be raised on how to get out of such situation.

It was based on that NAWOJians took to the corners of the market to sensitise the people on offences such as rape, physical injury, harmful widowhood practices, spousal battery, indecent exposure of body parts, maltreatment and abandonment of dependants, incest, etc, and the position of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law in such cases. They also urged victims to report cases of violence to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.

The traders who were delighted to receive the women journalists commended the wife of the State Governor, Pst. (Mrs) Patience Umo Eno, for her support to women and the initiative to take the news of Gender-Based Violence to different parts of the State.

The campaign featured question-and-answer sessions as well as interactive sessions where issues were addressed on personal basis