By Muhammed Opeyemi
Lagos State Government, through its Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), has charged community leaders to tackle Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
Executive Secretary of DSVA, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, gave the charge at a one-day training for community leaders in Ikeja.
TheNewsZenith reports that the event had the theme: “Community Leaders: Flagbearers in the Fight against SGBV”.
Mr Damilare Adewusi, Head of Community Engagement at DSVA, Represented represented Vivour-Adeniyi at the event.
DSVA’s Scribe said that community leaders were flagbearers in the fight against SGBV under their positions.
She said that community leaders were key actors in addressing and preventing SGBV and should be impartial when dealing with cases reported to them.
According to her, community leaders can influence decisions, policies and initiatives to address and prevent SGBV and shape community responses.
“Community leaders can establish community norms and values that reject violence and promote respect for all individuals.
“Community leaders are close to the grassroots; hence, it is important to engage them in the fight against SGBV.
“We are expecting that after the engagement, there will be great improvement at the grassroots,” she said.
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The Head of the Case Management Unit of DSVA, Mrs Timininu Oni, remarked that gender-based violence affected every person directly or indirectly.
Oni said that SGBV was rooted in gender inequality, patriarchy and power imbalance.
She described gender-based violence as any violence which targets individuals or groups based on their genders.
“Gender-based violence, sometimes referred to as sexual and gender-based violence, is any harmful act of sexual, physical, psychological, mental and emotional abuse.
“Such acts are perpetrated against a person’s will and based on socially ascribed ( that is gender) difference,” Oni said.
Alhaji Azeez Amusat, Chairman of the Lagos State Community Development Advisory Council, commended the organisers of the training.
Amusat said the training had exposed community leaders to more knowledge about sexual harassment, sexual abuse and domestic violence within communities.
“Many people think that sexual and gender-based violence relates to women alone. It is clear that it also happens to men, children, adults and youth.
“This programme has made us know what the law says we should be doing and what should not be done,” TheNewsZenith quoted Amusat as saying.
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