•USAID, partners bring succour to gender-based violence survivors
From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
The Ebonyi State Government has taken a step to mitigate the plight of victims of gender-based violence (GBV) in the state by providing shelter for them. Known as Gender-Based Violence Safe Space, the facility was established by the Ebonyi State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, in partnership with agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
USAID/Momentum Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) project director, Dr. Chioma Oduenyi, said at the inauguration of the shelter at the Centenary City, Abakaliki, that her agency saw the need for the facility.
According to her, USAID collaborated with the ministry in equipping the shelter for routine operations to strengthen the state’s GBV response ecosystem.
Oduenyi disclosed that the ministry had earlier made the request for the agency to equip the shelter in March, 2022, during her visit in company with another agency known as JHPiego.
She explained that the temporary home would reduce danger and prevent further harm for survivors of GBV who are at the risk of immediate violence from the perpetrators.
“These spaces provide women and girls with a safe entry point that offers them an opportunity to engage with each other, build important connections, solidarity and support with other women and girls, exchange information and rebuild community networks and support,” she said.
Oduenyi further explained that the Safe Space gives the survivors the chance to recuperate and re-integrate and as a result assured them that the shelter would serve its original purpose by providing the targeted persons with succour.
She added that the USAID/MCGL had been working with the Women Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Health, alongside three other indigenous non-governmental organizations, in the past five years to implement a robust gender-based violence prevention and response system.
“We have supported the ministry to achieve its mandate and today’s commissioning demonstrates a clear testament of our unwavering support to Ebonyi State. Additionally, MCGL works with the Ministry of Health to build the capacity of health service providers across over 100 health facilities in the state to provide post-GBV first line support to survivors.
“MCGL works through communities to stimulate actions to transform harmful and negative gender norms and prevent GBV from happening.”
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Chinwe Okah, said that the shelter would provide the survivors with a temporary stay for safe protection while accessing other care services such as psycho-social support, medical, legal and others, before they would be rehabilitated and reintegrated in their various homes and communities.
She explained that the facility was named Chief (Mrs.) Rachael Ogonnaya Umahi Shelter for GBV Survivors, after the wife of Ebonyi State governor.
She praised USAID/MCGL and all the partnering agencies over the fruition of the project.
The commissioner added that the idea behind the shelter and protective space was conceived so as to have a safe abode in the state where the survivors could take succour while awaiting justice to be served. She further said that it would avail them the opportunity to recover from trauma.
“It is most pathetic to note that most survivors of the violence shy away from reporting the cases for fear of intimidation, stigma and further violence, thereby suffering in silence; this has formed the basis of the ministry’s series of awareness-creation all this while and, with the existence of the shelter now, survivors will be more encouraged to report violence and be safe,” Okah said.
The commissioner said the centre also provides for professional counselling and skill acquisition programmes to enable the survivors fit into society as soon as they leave the facility. She declared that the ministry was determined to fight all the evils of violence meted on women and girls in the state.
Okah lauded USAID, MCGL and JHPiego consortium partners over the official handover of the centre and promised that the facility would be judiciously used to ensure that the objective was realised.
Ebonyi State governor, Chief David Umahi, commended the ministry and its partners for the centre, adding that the project was so endearing to the heart of the people of the state.
Secretary to the state government, Dr. Kenneth Ugbala, who represented Umahi, said: “I want to thank you for naming this project after the first lady, Rachael Ogonnaya Umahi, it is the best way to immortalize her and we are happy for that. We want to also thank the Ministry of Women Affairs for doing what Napoleon could not do.”
He assured them that the centre would be utilised for the purpose it was built, saying, the state government, even after the current administration, would continue to partners with the agencies by building other centres for the benefit of the citizenry.
“We do not want our children to be traumatized when they are abused because they are always scared and afraid of going home, thus, providing a space to handle their psychology and physical treatment is very important; I want to assure you that Ebonyi State will continue to work with all the partnering agencies to make the centre one of the best,” he said.