HACEY, WACOL Partner to end Gender-Based Violence Prevention, Response in Osun

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

HACEY, in partnership with Women Aid Collective (WACOL), has pledged to put a Stop to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Response in Osun State.

Speaking over the weekend at a Participatory Training Workshop on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Prevention and Response Empowering Christian Women and Women Leaders of Culture for Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria, the project lead, Hacey, David Agala at Daniel Adewole Awe Medical Centre (DAAMC) Orita Iloko, Osun State  said the workshop forms part of a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of Christian women and women leaders of culture to prevent, respond to, and advocate against gender-based violence within their communities.

It would be recalled that the training took place across selected communities in Oyo and Osun States.

According to him, “Gender-based violence remains a critical human rights and public health challenge in Nigeria, deeply rooted in harmful social, cultural, and religious norms”.

He opined that through this initiative, HACEY and WACOL seek to empower influential women leaders with practical knowledge, survivor-centered approaches, and advocacy tools to challenge these norms, promote human rights, and support survivors safely and ethically.

The training was facilitated by expert GBV practitioners with strong experience in GBV prevention and response, faith-based and cultural norm change, psychosocial first aid, safeguarding, referrals, advocacy, and participatory adult learning methods.

According to Agala the initiative underscores the commitment of HACEY and WACOL to community-led solutions, faith and cultural engagement, and sustainable action toward ending gender-based violence in Nigeria.

He remarked “the project is not only engaging Christian women leaders. It is engaging Christian women leaders and women leaders of culture for its activities. Women Leaders of culture like Iyalaja, Iyalodes, Olori, market women association and all other leaders of culture peculiar to each project community”

Agala stressed that for the stakeholders’ engagement they have even engaged the traditional councils and the traditional women leaders were contacted directly from the palace.

 The project title “Empowering Christian Women and Women Leaders of Culture for Prevention and Response to Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria, through the Strengthening of Grassroots Organizations” follows a system-straightening approach.

The project manager however noted that “We are empowering Christian women leaders and leaders of culture with the knowledge, skills and tools for GBV prevention, advocacy, and response.

“So, we are training to understand GBV, doing a participatory workshop for them where the women themselves identify GBV in the society and also map out a community referral pathway, they also participate in role play for its advocacy.”

 He opined that they are ultimately empowered as GBV prevention champions so as to enable them carry out activities in the society.

So, the project has various stages. The stage will come for media campaigns and outreaches to various relevant structures, he added.