Lafarge Takes Gender-Based Violence Campaign to School 

Lafarge Africa Plc, a leading innovative and sustainable building solutions company and manufacturer of a range of cement brands, has launched an awareness campaign on gender-based violence across its communities as part of activities to commemorate the International Women’s Day.

Speaking during the gender-based sensitisation and defence workshop held at Onitolo Community Senior High School, Lagos, the Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Director, Lafarge Africa Plc, Viola Graham-Douglas, explained that the workshop was organised with the aim of helping young girls to understand the meaning of gender-based violence and the right approach to address and avoid it.

According to Graham-Douglas, gender-based violence is not just about inflicting physical harm to the victims. She said: “Gender-based violence is any action that makes you feel unsafe, disrespected, or powerless because of your gender. 

If someone or a situation makes you feel uncomfortable or afraid, trust your gut, speak up and talk to someone that you trust. You are protecting yourself, and that is always the right thing to do.” 

She further said: “Today’s workshop serves as a huge opportunity for us to assist those that need support. We need to make them aware of how best to defend themselves should they find themselves in any form of abuse.”

She later shared affirmations with the young girls and encouraged them to be bold, confident and self-aware whether at school, or anywhere else they find themselves.

Also speaking during the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer, Famasi Africa, Adeola Ayoola, charged the young girls to be bold and courageous in confronting their fears by exposing those people involved in gender-based violence. She added that being bold and courageous would bring shame to the actors.

Ayoola urged the young women and girls to avoid seeking people’s validation for their actions as this could make them vulnerable to gender-based violence. She therefore charged them to be self-confident and believe in themselves.

“When you are seeking validity, you just want everybody to like you. Doing this will make you vulnerable to gender-based violence, especially at your age. This is because there is a whole lot going on in the lives of teenagers,” she said.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, The Re-Direct Academy, Helen Oladele, a gender-based advocate, stressed the need for young ladies to be disciplined and inculcate the right values that would help them shape the future they desire.

Oladele explained that it has become necessary for young girls to have a voice to enable them to challenge any force(s) intended to inflict abuse on them.

At a breakout session involving counsellors and volunteers from the company, each speaker took turns to share their experiences to the students, urging those who have been victims to fight the stigma and gain back their confidence.

Part of the workshop activities was a taekwondo session with students taken through different martial arts as a form of self-defense against gender-based violence.

The gender-based sensitization and defense workshop was put together by Lafarge Africa Plc in partnership with Education District IV, Lagos Ministry of Education.