A non-government organisation, Leadership Initiative for Youth Empowerment (LIFE) has revealed that it is embarking on a 32-month project to amplify the voices of female survivors for effective gender-based violence (GBV) Response in Oshodi-solo Local Government Area, Lagos, Nigeria.

The group made this known during an interactive session with the media at their Lagos office to update the media on their upcoming activities for the year.

According to Ogechi Stephen Jessica, the programs officer Leadership Initiative for Youth Empowerment (LIFE), “The goal of the project is to improve protection from sexual and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) for young girls and women through the Lagos State Domestic Violence Law 2007. The project trains community advocates drawn from existing community groups and local institutions to raise awareness of the provisions of the law for protection from domestic violence (battery, incest and child abuse) among grassroots communities in the Local Government Area of Oshodi-Isolo. The project will impact the relationship between community members, the police and key government agencies that work in the field of gender-based violence.”

Explaining further, Jessica said: “LIFE will work in communities and the local government area to empower beneficiaries with a specific understanding of the legal requirements and reporting procedures to guarantee that communities take a more active role in reporting incidents of sexual and gender-based violence to the police and act as change agents in their local communities.”

Speaking at the event, Mokwe Oluwatoyin Esther, Monitoring and education officer, LIFE said: “The project funded by African Women’s Development Fund, AWDF will provide training for 80 community champions who will return to their communities and conduct knowledge transfer sessions to reach 8000 community members in 32 months in Oshodi-solo LGA. LIFE will also conduct sustained advocacy and engagement activities with the Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police to improve the support provided to survivors seeking justice. LIFE will produce and disseminate 5000 copies of the law.”

“Already, LIFE has successfully conducted advocacy visits to key stakeholders in the Ministry of Justice, Local Government Officials, the Nigeria Police in Ijeshatedo police station, Itire police station, Isolo police station, llasa police division, Okota division”, she added.