By Ebunoluwa Sessou

As part of efforts to mitigate high incidence of sexual assault, rape, and human trafficking occurring amongst young girls and women across Nigeria and Africa, Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), a non-profit organization has partnered with Ford Foundation to expand its Gatekeepers Project.

The expansion was aimed at implementing in three Southwestern states including Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun states, to tackle the pervasive issue of gender-based violence, GBV.

Acknowledging the effect of rape and sexual violence, the founder, Dr. Kemi Dasilva-Ibru disclosed that 24 percent of women in Nigeria and in the rural communities which accounts for 54 percent of Nigeria’s population are grossly affected adding that, there is limited access to medical services and scarce information through mainstream media outlets.

“The Gatekeepers project focuses on empowering these community stakeholders to effectively respond to cases of rape and sexual violence, with particular emphasis on young girls and women in rural areas.

“This successful initiative was carried out in five Local Government Areas in Lagos state, 4 Local Government Areas in Ogun, and five Local Government Areas in Oyo state. A total, of 1,050 gatekeepers have been trained across these three states.

“WARIF recognizes the urgent need to address GBV at the grassroots level in these communities, by equipping these Gatekeepers as first responders within their communities. This understanding inspired the partnership with Ford Foundation. We are grateful their commitment aligns with ours and we hope to further strengthen this partnership for greater impact.

“Interpersonal and professional relationships between the various community leaders and stakeholders are also strengthened through the Gatekeepers Program ensuring a broader community engagement and reach and the safety of women and girls.

“The project was launched in August 2017 and it has been working with community stakeholders including Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) community and religious leaders, to address the pressing issues of rape and gender-based violence (GBV) in rural and peri-urban communities across Nigeria.

“This innovative grassroots approach was the first of its kind and has had a significant positive impact on raising awareness and on the prevention of GBV in many communities, through in-person training programs for these stakeholders as first responders in cases of GBV and in the handling of GBV-related issues”, she said.