IEVAWC: A digital hub for eliminating gender violence in Nigeria

It may not be an overstatement to state that in Nigeria, almost every family had suffered or witnessed gender violence! “In Nigeria, a survey was conducted by Project Alert on Violence Against Women in 2001. Interviews were conducted with women working in markets, women working in other work places, and with girls and young women in secondary schools and in a university in Lagos state. They were asked about physical abuse in the family and in relationships and about rape and reporting incidents of violence. The answers women gave were alarming. 64.4 percent of 45 women interviewed in the work place said that they had been beaten by a partner, boyfriend or husband. 56.2 percent of 48 market women had experienced the same kind of violence. According to Amnesty International, the federal and state governments were partly responsible for these alarming figures. Neither the federal or state governments were doing anything to stem this violence and in some cases were even condoning it thus putting at risk millions of women nationwide.” :The Lawyers Chronicle. This menace is on the increase and calls for private and non-governmental organization participation. This is why the Initiative for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Children (IEVAWC) in Nigeria was founded as a non-profit and non-governmental organization that is committed to preventing, eliminating, and providing lasting solutions to gender violence such as wife-battering, rape and child sexual abuse in the Nigerian society. IEVAWC was founded in June 14, 2006 by Miss Nabiye Blessing John Tal and was officially registered with the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission in July 18, 2008. Membership categories include executive, registered, affiliates honorary and volunteers all dedicated to giving adequate advice and confidential counseling services to victims of gender violence through sensitive education and enlightenment campaigns such as seminars, talk shows, interactive forums, concerts, etc.

What we do

 Preventing and Eliminating Gender Violence.
 Giving sensitive advice and confidential counseling services to victims of gender violence.
 Promoting human development through sensitive education and enlightenment campaigns on the prevention and elimination of gender violence.
 Encouraging the identification, penalization and rehabilitation of the aggressors.
 Encouraging and inspiring women, youth and children discover themselves, their real potential and their gifts and calling in each sphere of life.
 Promoting collective peace and tolerance in order to reject violence as a means to any end.
 Solicit from home and abroad materials such as medicine, food or any other aid, and disburse such materials as it deems fit towards the eradication of its aims and objectives.
 The proper application of any funds realized towards the eradication of gender violence, illiteracy, poverty, diseases, and any other purpose which the trustees deem fit and proper.
 To promote the principles of the rule of law and respect for the enforcement of fundamental human rights.
 To create and maintain an endowment fund for the proper and thorough observance and discharge of any of the above aims and objectives.

Our Vision and Strategies

Our desire is to see positive changes in the life of Nigerian men, women, youth, children and the society at large, as such contributing our quota towards nation building and capacity/potential utilization. Our work and involvement in the society is multi-faceted. This is done solely or in partnership with other organizations through the following strategies:-

Youth and Educational Development Projects:
 Vocational training on counseling.
 Gender violence, Drugs, teenage pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns through seminars in schools.
 Life skill seminars in schools.

Community Awareness Projects:
 Identify needy communities in the area of education and enlightenment on gender violence and health-care delivery (reproductive health), General health issues, HIV/AIDS and support them through community participation initiatives.
 Organize seminars on violence free and sustainable community development.

Concerts:
 Organize concerts and film shows as a way of creating awareness, it will serve as an avenue where fun and learning will take place.
Lifeline
 Web presence (24/7 mobile calls, charts and e-mail feedbacks) dedicated to receiving complaints from victims of gender violence or relatives and providing confidential solutions.

Achievements and Projects

Lend a Hand Project:
 Gift items presentation and interactive forum with mothers of rejected babies and persons living with HIV/AIDS in an orphanage Home (The ANAWIM Centre, Home of the poorest of the poor in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria. 16th December 2006.

Teach them young project:

 Reaching out to teenage students of star international School in Gwagwalada, Abuja whom are likely to have experienced or witnessed gender violence such as sexual harassment and rape. 15th February 2007.

Teach them young project:

 Reaching out to teenage students of Holy Trinity School in Gwagwalada, Abuja whom are likely to have experienced or witnessed gender violence such as sexual harassment and rape. 8th August 2008.

Teach them young project:

 Reaching out to teenage pupils of Suzz Tenderly Primary School in Gwagwalada, Abuja whom are likely to have experienced or witnessed gender violence such as sexual harassment and rape. 15th August 2008.

Teach them young project:

 Reaching out to teenage pupils of Phase III Primary School in Gwagwalada, Abuja whom are likely to have experienced or witnessed gender violence such as sexual harassment and rape. 25th September 2008.

Community Awareness Campaign:

 Awareness campaign in Garki Village Community to reduce child sexual abuse and the spread of HIV/AIDS. 10th December 2008.

Networking with other organizations:

 In the year 2009, IEVAWC entered into partnerships, collaborations and deliberations with various organizations to find ways of completely eliminating violence against women & children in Federal Capital Territory before the year 2013. (Organizations such as NCWS, UNICEF, AMAC, FMOWA, FMOE, etc.)

Inter Secondary School debate:
 The debate was titled “Violence against Women: Who is to be blamed?” aimed to enlightened secondary school students on dangers and effects of violence against women. Participants include students of All Saints College, Government Girls Science Secondary School Doma and School for the Deaf; all in Gombe State Nigeria. 18th March 2010.

Community Awareness Campaign:

 Awareness campaign in Tal Community of Tangale district in Gombe State to encourage and empower rural women as well as to reduce child sexual abuse and the spread of HIV/AIDS. 31st December 2010.

Media Awareness Campaign:

 IEVAWC carried out Awareness campaign through media to promote its existence and activities as well as to solicit for support and partnership with other organizations with mutual interests. Activities carried out in 2011 include the following:

1. Gombe Media Corporation (GMC) – 19th April, 2011




2. Gombe Media Corporation (GMC) – 6th May, 2011




3. 2-Day National Conference of N-WAV (Nigerian Women against Violence). Venue- New Chelsea Hotel Abuja, Date:- 23rd – 25th June, 2011




4. African Magic Stakeholders Forum, Venue- Protea Hotel Abuja, Date- 18th August, 2011




5. Kiss FM, Abuja. 14th September, 2011




6. 1-Day interactive forum on the roles of NGO’s on eliminating gender violence by Ministry of Women Affairs. Venue- Women Development Centre, Abuja. Date- 23rd November, 2011.




7. 2-Day Media Awareness on attaining the goals on the elimination of violence against women and children. By ACTIONAID. Venue- Bolton White Hotels, Abuja. Date- 6th – 7th December, 2011.

IEVAWC 2012 Achievements can be found on our web page http://ievawcng.org

Conclusion

IEVAWC has identified the need to reach out to the victims of domestic violence who because of stigma, may not want to come out and complain publicly. we are determine to identify, prosecute, eliminate and rehabilitate the aggressors of this menace call gender violence. We believe it is realizable that together we will mitigate and eliminate cases of rape, wife-battering, genital mutilations etc. in Nigeria and the globe. We therefore solicit for more partnership and support from all and sundry for the effective carryout of our activities.
You can contact us via:
Our website: http://ievawcng.org/
E-mail; ievawc_ng@yahoo.com
Phone: +234 (0) 97810611, +234 (0) 8162536058,+234 (0) 8032167288
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/197526166941213/
Twitter: @IEVAWC