Ebonyi Women’s Groups Call for Stronger Leadership in Fight Against GBV
Chinedum Treasure
Women’s rights organisations in Ebonyi State have called for stronger leadership and advocacy capacity to advance gender equality, promote women’s participation in governance and tackle gender-based violence.
They made the call in Abakaliki during a one-day capacity-building training for leaders of women’s rights organisations, organised by the Women Information Network (WINET) in partnership with the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement.
Speaking at the training, the Senior Legal and Programme Officer of the Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), Dr Helen Kalu, said continuous training was necessary to equip women’s rights advocates with new knowledge and strengthen their existing skills.
Kalu said seminars, workshops and sensitisation programmes would enhance the capacity of women to engage effectively in advocacy and promote a more inclusive society.
She also appealed to men, leaders and women to change the perception of feminism as an attempt by women to take over power.
According to her, feminists should rather be seen as agents of change seeking fairness and an enabling environment where everyone can fulfil their potential.
The Executive Director of Daughters of Virtue and Empowerment Initiative (DOVENET), Dr Ugo Nnachi, described the training as an important component of the campaign for women’s liberation, gender parity, inclusive governance and the prevention of gender-based violence.
Earlier, Executive Director of WINET, Mrs Miriam Menkiti, said the training was part of a project titled “Strengthening Women’s Rights Organisations in Nigeria for Gender-Based Violence Prevention,” supported by the Amandla Institute for Policy and Leadership Advancement.
Menkiti said the project was being implemented across Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states under the Strengthening Women’s Movements in Nigeria initiative.
She said the project was designed to build an inclusive, coordinated and impactful women’s movement capable of advocating gender equality, social justice and the economic and political empowerment of women.
According to her, the Abakaliki training brought together women’s rights organisations to develop their skills in movement building, gender-based violence prevention, feminist leadership and intergenerational leadership.
Menkiti thanked the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Felicia Nwankpuma, and the Commissioner for Grants and Donor Agencies, Mr Solomon Azi, for supporting the initiative.
She also presented the commissioners with a copy of A Reader on Feminist Thinking and Practice in Nigeria, compiled and edited by Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi and Fabia Ogunmekan.
Declaring the training open on behalf of the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, the Director of Administration, Mr Charles Nwali, commended WINET for extending the programme to Ebonyi.
Nwali pledged the ministry’s continued support for the organisation and urged participants to share the knowledge gained with members of their respective organisations.
The Commissioner for Grants and Donor Agencies, Mr Solomon Azi, also commended WINET for its advocacy on women’s rights.
Azi, however, urged women to pursue gender equality while maintaining their responsibilities as mothers and custodians of family values.
The training featured sessions on “Understanding Women’s Movements in Nigeria,” “Intergenerational Leadership,” “Feminist Leadership for the 21st Century,” “Values of Feminism” and “Core Leadership Skills.”
The sessions were facilitated by WINET officials, including Menkiti, Programme Manager Mrs Ijeoma Obinna-Onwuka, and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning/Gender Desk Officer Mrs Chinelo Dim.
About 25 women’s rights organisations in Ebonyi State participated in the training.
