World Bank and Nasarawa join forces against gender-based violence.

The World Bank and the Nasarawa State government collaborated on a one-day workshop to raise awareness about gender-based violence and female genital mutilation. The event gathered community and religious leaders from all 13 Local Government Areas of the state. It was prompted by the rising cases of gender-based violence and other challenges affecting women and girls.

Esther Yonah, the Gender Pillar Head of CoPREP in Nasarawa State, highlighted the adverse effects of gender-based violence and female genital mutilation on women’s self-esteem. Despite awareness campaigns, female rights remain neglected and abused, underscoring the need for workshops like this.

During the workshop, stakeholders were urged to commit to combating gender-based violence and female genital mutilation in their communities. The goal is to restore the confidence of oppressed females and prevent future occurrences. Justina Allu, the Director of Public Defender at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice, emphasized the need for behavioral change to address issues like sexual harassment and molestation.

Representatives from various communities expressed gratitude for the workshop and pledged to work towards finding solutions to the challenges facing women and girls. The event comes amidst rising concerns, with Nigeria recording 27,698 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence between 2020 and 2023.