Ireti Reource Centre set up by Women’s Rights and Health Project, WHARP, with Support from Rule of Law and Anti-corruption Programme, RoLAC has provided psycho-social support, counseling and therapy for survivors of Sexual and Gender Based Violence, SGBV in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
This was disclosed by Nneoma Eauma, Centre Assistant at Ireti Resource Centre while speaking at the Town Hall meeting organized by WHARP, to tackle the scourge of SGBV in Alimosho and to increase access to justice services.
‘’In the past 5 years, Alimosho has recorded the highest number of SGBV cases in Lagos and since this project commenced, we have carried out series of community enlightenment activities and engagements to inform members of the community on how they can access justice services, work with the police and government structures to report and reduce cases of sexual and gender base violence in the LGA.”
Speaking further, Eauma revealed that a baseline survey that was conducted by WRAHP showed that, “people did not know who or where to report SGBV cases to and it makes perpetrators to continue.
“That was why we set up Ireti Recourse Centre, to increase access to justice for people within the community and we have recorded increase in the number of reporting overtime,” she added.
The Centre Assistant noted that Ireti works closely with the police, relevant government agencies, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team to increase reporting channel for members of the community.’
Speaking about the impact of the various engagement sessions with WHARP, Vice Chairperson for Artisans in Agbado Oke Odo, Mrs. Abosede Adebayo shared that beneficiaries at the meetings have been enlightened on how speak out against any form of abuse or violence.
Adebayo also added that, “we have become agents of change in our communities, because we go back to inform them on what we’ve learnt and how we the cases of sexual and gender based violence can become a thing of the past.”
She also noted that men are being involved in the campaign which has been helping to reduce the cases of SGBV.