By Sani Idris
An NGO, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWIE), has empowered members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers on combating
Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in public spaces in kaduna.
At the final seminar of the “We for Them” (WFT) project implemented by EWEI on Monday in Kaduna, Mr. Mendie Jeremiah, the Secondary Focal Person of the project, said it was initiated due to the incessant cases of sexual harasment in public spaces.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the WFT project implemented by EWEI, is supported by African Women Development Fund.
Jeremiah said that EWEI, founded in 2008, has been steadfast in its commitment to providing multisectoral interventions aimed at empowering and supporting women and girls.
He noted that the primary objective of the project was to address and reduce SGBV, with a special focus on combating sexual harassment and abuse in public spaces.
He therefore, said in pursuit of combating sexual harassment and abuse, EWEI collaborated with NURTW and ASUP Kaduna State Polytechnic Branch.
He also said that the partnerships with the organisations underscored the importance of collective efforts in combating sexual harassment and promoting safer public spaces.
The Focal Person, explained that the NURTW was a male dominated union, where the project worked in collaboration, to reduce violence in motor parks.
He equally said the initiative identified ASUP, who are one of the strongest unions in polytechnics.
“We are looking at the ratio of men to women in ASUP and NURTW. The project also tried at making men at the forefront of fighting sexual harasment in public spaces, which is why the two bodies are key to the project.
“We are not saying that men are the only perpetrators of sexual harasment, but we are living in a patrachial society where men take most of decisions. We want to see men speaking more and supporting survivors of SGBV from investigation to the tale end,”Jeremiah said.
Issuing certificates to members of ASUP the NURTW, Jeremiah said the certication is a from of committment for the beneficiaries to see themselves as those who have the capacity to champion the fight against sexual harasment in their communities.
He equally said that the certificates comes with responsibility of sensitising others against SGBV and also as a reminders to the beneficiaries that they advocates of the fight against it and therefore should not be found flaunting the rules.
“We aim to see that our beneficiaries in the ASUP and NURTW serve as champions and advocates against sexual harrasment in the institutions and motor parks.
In an interview at the sideline of the event, the Director, Policy and Transparency Division (PTD) of Kaduna Polytechnic, Dr. Ismail Anchau, said they were saddled with ensuring ethical conduct in the institution.
He said in kaduna polytechnic, there is the sexual harasment prohibition policy.
He explained that the policy was a directive from the Federal Government because of the value it has for women, and even men who could also be sexually harassed.
Anchau added that the kaduna polytechnic ensured that its staff and students are sensitised.
He restated the polytechnic’s committment to ethical conduct and zero tolerance for sexual harasment.
He commended EWEI for the initiative, stating that it would go along way in further reducing the scourge of sexual harasment of various forms in the polytechnic.
Also, Malam Ussaini Buba, the Secretary of NURTW at Kantin Kwari motor park, Ahmadu Bello way Kaduna, said empowering them through training and certification by EWEI has given them more knowledge on some forms of sexual harasment.
He added that the knowledge they gained through the project would further strengthen thier existing laws in motor parks.
Buba equally said every motor park in kaduna has a disciplinary office and a committee that handles cases thefts, drug abuse, and sexual harasment.
“When ever we come across such case in our motor parks, we take the perpetrator to the discipline officer in the park who will handle the case accordingly and take it up to security agencies if the needs be for appropriate actions.
“The discipline officer has the number of all the police stations surrounding the motor park, when cases of sexual harasment, theft, of abusing drugs in the parks are seen, they are referred to the nearest police station,”he said.
Buba thanked EWEI for finding them worthy of benefiting from knowledge that was accompanied by the project.
He said if unions, groups or individuals does not rise to the fight against sexual harasment, it would one day likely to happen on their children, relatives or any loved one.
NAN reports that present at the event were traditional and religious leaders, youth groups, sexual assault referral centre managers in kaduna, NSCDC, NBTE, among others.(NAN)
