South Saharan Social Development Organization participated in a stakeholder meeting and sensitization visit organized by The Ministry of Gender Affairs and Social Development Enugu for Enugu West Senatorial District to deliberate on and map out ways to eliminate Gender Base Violence, Child Abuse and Trafficking and Promotion of Child Education in Enugu State.
SSDO’s Executive Director, Dr. Stanley Ilechukwu, at the stakeholder meeting highlighted the need to engage the local government more on policy reform and formulation as they’re the closest governing body to the people. He emphasized the need to domesticate gender policies by tailoring them for better applicability to suit the needs of rural communities.
The sensitization visit to Udi LGA was an opportunity to build the capacity of the community on rape, child defilement, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and how to report cases of abuse. SSDO’s Gender Programme Lead, Blessing Uchendu, facilitated a session to educate the community on Female Genital Mutilation, its effects, how to report it, and the need for it to be clamped out in its totality.
Other stakeholders present at the stakeholder meeting include civil society organizations and security agencies.