By: Mayen Etim
KADUNA, North-West, Nigeria – Members of the Kariji Junction, Maijero Keke parks in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state on Friday sensitized residents of their communities and persons within the parks on the menace of sexual harassment.
The activity followed an ongoing series of awareness seminars by selected members of the union on sexual harassment in public spaces organized by an NGO, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI) under its “WeForThem” project in the state.
Addressing the gathering at the park, a Member of the Park Taskforce and Reconciliation Committee, Eze Okonkwo, said they were at the park to prevent Gender-Based Violence, (GBV), promote culture of respect and culture of consent.
He explained that GBV are harmful acts directed at someone based on their gender which could be physical, sexual, psychological or emotional and socio-economic, which are common in our public spaces in the state.
According to him, sexual harassment is a form of GBV that involves any unwelcome or inappropriate sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, and could occur in various settings, including the workplace, educational institutions, public spaces, or online environments.
Okonkwo therefore said it is essential to address and prevent sexual harassment, by promoting a culture of respect, consent, and gender equality in various social and professional contexts.
He cautioned the gathering against committing any of these acts as there are legal frameworks and policies in place in Kaduna state to protect individuals from sexual harassment and provide avenues for reporting and seeking redress.
EWEI’s Secondary Focal Person for project ‘WeforThem’, Mendie Jeremiah, commended beneficiaries of the ‘WFT’ from Kariji Junction, Maijero Keke parks, describing the event as a success.
He said the event is an outcome of EWEI’s previous engagements with the beneficiaries on awareness seminars that speaks to sexual harassment in public spaces.
“The seminars took them through knowledge of rights and what is enshrined in the constitution, and the policies in place for GBV as a whole. They were also taken through the Violence Against Person Prohibition, (VAPP), and GESI Policy of the state,” he disclosed.
According to Jeremiah, the idea of the event is a brain child of the beneficiaries who needed to reach out to more members, and persons within their parks to sensitize them on issues around sexual harassment, provisions of the VAPP law, and GESI Policy.
Chairman of the Kariji Junction Keke park, Ishaya Fadason, said with the awareness created, his members have come to the knowledge of what constitutes gender based violence, and the laws in place in the state for offenders.
He said prior to the sensitization, when such issue occur most members do not know where to channel their complaints, however, with the enlightenment, they are told where to go and toll-free numbers given to them; urging them to continue cascading the information to others who are not present at the event
A Nail Technician at the Kariji Junction Keke park, Esther La, said the event was timely and important because before then, people misbehave and commits all sorts of atrocities at the park.
She signified interest to join in the sensitization exercises to help curb and rid the parks and Kaduna state in general of the menace of sexual harassment and other forms of GBV.
Hear her: “From today onward, anything I see around this park and with these toll-free numbers, I’ll just call. May God bless EWEI for everything it’s doing.”
The ‘WFT’ project which is supported by the African Women’s Development Fund, (AWDF), and implemented by EWEI, is centred on addressing the issues of sexual harassment in public spaces.
EWEI is working with two unions to achieve this aim – National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), and ASUP both of Kaduna chapters respectively.