Project Lead(s): Ekene Osakwe
Issue
The violence of Boko Haram displaced over 2 million people in Northern Nigeria. With the insurgency of Boko Haram, gender-based violence (GBV) has markedly increased across Northern Nigeria, putting women and children at a heightened risk of violence.
The increase in GBV has increased the prevalence of sexual assault, unintended pregnancies, high maternal mortality, and ultimately untreated trauma. Untreated trauma combined with the lack of trauma-based care has put survivors of GBV at higher risk of maternal mortality.
Solution
The aim of this project was to:
- Build the capacity of midwives to provide trauma-based care in emergency and low-resource settings.
- Establish a peer-to-peer advocacy program on adolescent sexual and reproductive health in order to reverse the stigmatization of women and girls who have returned after being captured by Boko Haram.
To do this, they partnered with a local NGO, “Personhood Development Initiative”. They also collaborated with churches to educate church leaders about gender equality, and GBV.
Lastly, the organization partnered with 4 state governments to train 32 health workers on trauma-based care.
Outcome
A total of 6407 people were reached with gender- and GBV-related messages as part of the project.
40 church leaders were trained on gender and GBV. These leaders stated they had gained a deeper understanding of gender and sex, as well as how to prevent gender discrimination. Church leaders improved youth understanding of gender and discrimination through town halls.
The 32 health workers were better equipped to provide professional care to GBV survivors and those who were at risk of GBV.
Inclusivity within communities improved, as more women were included in the decision-making processes. The project resulted in improved awareness of GBV and, in particular, of the importance of reporting GBV incidents immediately.