A’Ibom First Lady Builds 33-Room Apartment For GBV Survivors, Inauguration Soon – Emem Ette
By Mercy Obot
The Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, Barr Emem Ette has said the Committee through the office of the First Lady, Dr Martha Udom Emmanuel has built a 33-room apartment for victims of Gender Based Violence, GBV in the state.
She made this known during the Shared Learning Event (SLE) for Community Based Organizations (CEO) and relevant stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State at Ann’s Haven Hotel and Suites in Uyo, on Thursday, 14 July 2022.
In her words, “To curb the menace of domestic violence against women and girls in the state, the Akwa Ibom State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee through the office of the wife of the Governor has built a 33-room for survivors of GBV and it will soon be launched.
“We have also provided free medical services for rape victims in Uyo and Ikot Ekpene. This means any rape victim in these centres can be attended to freely without medical charges.”
Highlighting other achievements of the GBV Committee in the last six months of its existence, Ette noted that the Committee has been able to develop a draft of a unified referral pathway for the State as well as a State prevention of sexual abuse violence strategy.
She added that the body has also secured the conviction of sex offenders, provided trust funds for victims, and managed and coordinated GBV responses in the State.
She however appreciated the Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel for putting a lot of things in place to see to the implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition, VAPP, Law in the State.
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Ette urged the newly trained CBOs, traditional institutions and other relevant GBV stakeholders to collaborate with the Committee in eliminating all forms of gender-based violence in the state by sensitizing people against Domestic Violence in society.
Giving an overview of the Strengthening Civic Advocacy and Local Engagement, SCALE project, the Coordinator of Girls Power Initiative, GPI, Mrs Comfort Ikpeme said the project is meant to train people to advocate against any form of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and Child Early and Faced Marriage (CEFM) in various communities in Nigeria.
The project which is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Palladium, trained eleven Community Based Organizations, and CBOs to tackle any form of domestic violence in Akwa Ibom State.
During the event, the beneficiaries of the SCALE project shared their experiences and gave their recommendations on how to mitigate these menaces in society.
In their various goodwill messages, the relevant GBV stakeholders reiterated their commitment to fighting against any form of Gender-Based Violence against women and children in society.
The high point of the event was the presentation of the Communiqué.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion included, the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Dr Martha Udom Emmanuel, who was represented by the coordinator of Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation-Path Initiative, FEYReP, Dr Idorenyin Ekanem; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Dr Ini Adiakpan, who was represented by Mrs Uyime Udofia; members of GBV Management Committee; members of FIDA; traditional rulers and Non Governmental Organizations.
