AfA Holds Community Engagement with Rural Women

On the 5th of August 2021, Alliances for Africa began implementation of the second phase of the United Nations Trust Fund project on strengthening stakeholders’ engagement in the process of VAPP enactment with an overall goal of ending violence against women and girls in Imo state.

AfA was able to reach 30 communities, with different women’s groups in the following local government areas in Imo state – Isiala Mbano, Ihitte Uboma, Obowo, Ohaji, Okigwe, Onuimo, Municipal, Owerri North, Owerri West, Owerri North, Mbaitoli. Not forgetting, the Hausa women’s community in Owerri and other such women’s societies.

Taking advantage of the August meeting by women groups in the rural areas, the AfA team was able to engage more than 1,800 women on topics ranging from, child trafficking, widowhood practices, defilement, rape and incest which are prevalent and hidden in many communities.

The project being implemented by AfA in Nigeria works to promote the full implementation of the 2015 Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) in Nigeria. The intervention seeks to address existing harmful socio-cultural norms that foster gender inequalities underpinning violence against women and girls. 

The programme being implemented in Imo State in the South-East geo-political zone, contributes to Spotlight Initiative outcome 6 by building coalitions between state and civil society actors to establish mechanisms for the effective implementation of legislation on ending violence against women and girls. The project engages women-led organizations, key government institutions, traditional leaders, men and boys, community leaders, state legislators, schools and employs a prevention, activism, protection approach.