Alliances for Africa concludes Community-wide Sensitization for Women Groups in 30 Communities in Imo

Non- Governmental Organization at the frontline pushing for women’s right in the state, Alliances for Africa, (AfA), has concluded her community-wide sensitization campaign for women’s groups in Imo state, South-East, Nigeria, with support from the United Nations Trust Fund.

Recall that the organization began sensitization for women’s groups last month, using the August meeting platform to reach rural women across communities in Imo.

The purpose of the engagement according the Programs Manager of AfA, Blessing Duru, was to improve communities’ knowledge and strengthen local women’s constitutions and bye-laws to consolidate and localize the provisions of the Imo state Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law and to increase the demand for its implementation aimed at ending all forms of violence against women and girls.

According to her, over 2000 women were reached in the select 30 communities, educated, sensitized, and presented a copy of the VAPP law, in addition to providing financial empowerment to communities for infrastructural projects and development.

She however noted that, the engagements also revealed gaps in the constitution and bye-Laws of the various women’s groups that do not adequately address or offer protection to women and girls.

Blessing Duru advised women’s groups to revise their constitutions or bye-Laws to include traditional rulers and youth groups in the adoption and enforcement process in order to ensure justice for women and girls who are victims of gender-based violence, pointing out that, these partnerships if established and maintained, there will act as mechanisms to ensure safety of women and girls.

She further implored communities to ensure that- spousal battery, forcible eviction, domestic violence, harmful widowhood practices, rape, abandonment, disinheritance, forcible eviction, female genital mutilation, and other harmful traditional practices are addressed in their constitution or bye-laws.

Women were also urged to look out for and support causes that will end or reform discriminatory practices in their communities that weaken and disenfranchise women.