A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Women’s Rights and Health Projects (WRAHP), on Wednesday, September 7, applauded 20 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from Ojo and Oshodi-Isolo local government areas of Lagos State, for their efforts in the fight against Sexual and Gender Based Violence cases in their communities.
This came as a project anchored by WRAHP in the two LGA’s and titled ‘Building Capacity of Civil Society Organizations to Promote Uptake of Justice Related Social Services in Ojo and Oshodi-Isolo LGAs of Lagos State,’ came to an end.
The one-year term project billed for August 2021 – September 2022 and sponsored by European Union Act, under the Agents for Citizen-Driven Transportation Project, was designed to build the capacity of the CSOs to effectively respond to and refer incidences of SGBV, abuse in their various communities, as well as to be credible and effective drivers of change for sustainable development of their communities, states, and Nigeria at large.
Speaking during the sixth quarterly meeting and the programme round-off on Wednesday, Bose Ironsi, Executive Director, WRAHP/Ireti, praised the CSO partners for ensuring the project was successful through their active engagements.
She said, “WRAHP is privileged to be the host of this meeting. It is my pleasure to welcome you all to today’s meeting.
“WRAHP with support from EU-ACT implemented a 12-month project titled Building Capacity of Civil Society Organisation to Promote Uptake of Justice Related Social Services in Ojo and Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Areas of Lagos State.
“Working on this, WRAHP has developed the capacities of the CSOs with particular attention to the vulnerable people in the society on issues of Gender Based Violence, promotion of women’s rights, and instilling leadership abilities in community women and girls.
“The activities conducted that yielded great successes include the following, Mapping of 40 CSOs, training of the 38 representatives of 20 CSOs, quarterly review meetings at the different LGAs, printing, and dissemination of 2000 copies of Lagos State Protection Against Domestic Violence Law.
“This is the final meeting for the year and I am glad to announce to us that all the effort we have put into achieving the goals is yielding positive results as there is an increased number of reporting, about 70 survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence received psychosocial support.
“We are looking forward to the amazing and beautiful things we will achieve in our respective fields/organisations.”
She further told newsmen that aside from the Ojo and Oshodi-Isolo project, WRAHP had worked in six LCDAs in Alimosho, worked in Etiosa, Victoria Island, and Ikorodu.
According to Ironsi, the NGO currently has offices in three states, Lagos, Edo, and Ebonyi states.
“Our offices are all about issues of SGBV. Our entrance point has always been the usage of the law because we believe that ignorance of the law is not an excuse. The majority of the people don’t know the law and since they don’t know the law they cannot demand justice.
“So, when you hear Alimosho is having the highest reports on SGBV, it is not really that it is happening more in Alimosho – the reason is that people are talking more and reporting more in the LGA.”
She said WRAHP has a plan to work in the whole of Lagos State but “we are taking it bit by bit based on the resources that are available to us.”
“Now, we are working with people with disability. Alimosho was like a study for us and we realised that we need to work with people living with disability, especially women. This is to also make them be able to amplify their voices as well as to be able to speak on issues of SGBVs,” she added.
EU-Act Focal Person in Lagos State, Adeshola Afariogun, speaking at the meeting, expressed satisfaction with WRAHP and the CSOs over the outcome of the project so far.
Afariogun said all EU-Act focused on achieving with the project was capacity strengthening.
“We gave out the grant in order to help reduce issues of GBV or even eradicate it in the society. And to sustain that was why WRAHP trained 20 CSOs so that they would carry on the work.
“To further make it sustainable, they have also brought on board relevant stakeholders that will work together with these CSO partners including the government, the police, and the community leaders.”
He assured that EU-Act will share relevant information with WRAHP from time to time “so that when there is an opportunity, WRAHP and the CSO partners will all be aware in good time.”
In attendance at the programme include religious, traditional, and community leaders. There were also school children, among others.