By Joseph Edegbo
To commemorate the International Women’s Day 2022, Africa Media Development Foundation on Tuesday organised a community awareness and sensitization forum on gender equality and violence against persons prohibition law.
The meeting which was organised for 50 women in Rigasa, a suburb of Kaduna metropolis, had in attendance, the Ward head and the Imam of the community.
Addressing the participants, the Executive Director AMDF, Mr Iliya Kure appreciated the community for being enthusiastic about the program which was held to also commemorate this year’s international Women’s Day with the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”
The Imam of the Community Mosque, Mallam Muhammad Sani who spoke on Islamic perspective on violence against women and girls said Islam as a religion does not permit any form of such violence and therefore enjoined the community to avoid them.
Earlier, the Ward Head, Mallam Abubakar Mai Unguwan thanked the AMDF and called on the participants to be open and listen attentively to ask questions.
A resource person, and member, Kaduna State Observatory Committee on Violence Against Women and Girls, Barr Amina Audi who spoke on the overview of the VAPP law, advised women to speak out and use the training as a step up for other women in the community.
Another Resource Person and Civil Society Activist, Amina Kazaure who spoke on Community Empowerment as a Tool to Avoid Violence, stressed the need for women and girls to have skills and economic empowerment to avoid been abused by men.
She also warned women against sending their children for hawking to avoid being abused.
The Rise Up project manager and Fellow, Mr. Benjamin Maigari appreciated the resource persons and the participants for their enthusiasm and commitment to the training.
He told the participants that the Rise Up Project being implemented by the AMDF, is sponsored by the Public Health Institute of John Hopkins University in Baltimore United States of America.