Ideal Women Advance Initiative (IWAI)

Ideal Women Advance Initiative (IWAI) is a Nigerian non- governmental organization (NGO) operating in the Niger Delta since 2007. The organization was founded as a response to the complex problem women and young people face during and after violent conflict, health management crises and the gap in the governance structure in local communities where women who provide 60% of the needed resources are excluded from all forms of decision making and governance. It’s a non- profit organization with the mandate to promote, enable and facilitate women development in Niger Delta states through trainings, capacity building, skills acquisition programs and health education.

IWAI heard about the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND)’s small grant for the 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence campaign and applied to be a recipient of the grant. When informed that they had been chosen as one of four organizations in the Niger Delta to received the grant, IWAI quickly set out to work in Delta State.

Here is how they campaigned for the elimination of gender based violence.

 

Radio Program on RIZE FM

IWAI kickstarted their campaign on November 30, 2017, by going on RIZE FM, a radio station in Warri, Delta State, to discuss issues around gender violence. It was a listener participatory talk show that saw callers ask questions about gender violence that was responded to by IWAI.

 

Visit to Law Enforcement Agencies

On December 4, 2017, a team of four from IWAI paid an advocacy visit to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Ekpan Police Station in Warri, Delta State, to discuss issues of gender based violence, how it has become a norm in many communities in the state and the need for immediate action to be taken in order to curb this menace.

 

At the end of the advocacy visit, the DPO expressed gratitude for the project and stated that the police have had to deal with parents of victims of gender based violence refusing to prosecute perpetrators because of cultural or societal reasons. He however promised to do more  to make sure this was curbed in his jurisdiction. He also pledged his support and that of his team and promised to work hand in hand with the necessary authorities to ensure that violators are prosecuted.

Similarly, on December 5, 2017, the IWAI team visited the DPOs of A-Division and Warri Area Coomand in Warri. Both DPOs expressed gratitude for the project. She went further to share similar constraints in prosecuting violent perpetrators but committed to improving methods to solving the problem.

 

Engaging School Management Boards.

IWAI started a school tour campaign that was designed to get all stakeholders involved in the process of eliminating gender based violence in Delta State.

The team visited the management of Essi College in Warri on December 4, 2017, to share knowledge on the most common forms of gender based violence in schools and how to make the school safe for women and girls.  and also fix a date when the team members will come to address the students.

The Principal of the school thanked PIND and IWAI for this project and the team for choosing their school as beneficiaries of the sensitization exercise. According to her, the school had grappled with safety for women and girls in the past; something that prompted here to employed some vigilante boys in the area to start guiding the school. She expressed how that act changed the story of her school as women and girls no longer come to school with fear of being molested or robbed.

She told IWAI that she was open to innovative ways to prevent a reemergence of the problem and looked forward to the IWAI project sustain presence in her school.

From Essi College, the team moved to Ekpan Secondary where they had a conversation with the  Vice-Principal and staff members of the school. The school board stated that parents needed the sensitization about gender based violence as much as they did because parents are the first point of contact for every child. The Vice-Principal also stated that the school is really unsafe for women and girls as there are often issues of abuse. IWAI proffered solutions that revolved around constructing sturdier fences and employing better security operatives for the school. In their contribution to keeping women and girls safe in the school, the teachers promised to continue the campaign with small sessions in their daily classes.

To cap their visits to school boards, IWAI visited Uwangue College where the Principal showed similar commitment to promoting an end to gender based violence in his school.

It was then time to reach student in Delta State.

 

Catching Them Young

The team paid a sensitization visit to the students and staff of the Ekpan Secondary School, Uwangue College, Ovwian Grammar School, College of Commerce, and Okerenkoko Secondary School in Delta State. IWAI talked on gender based violence and it’s danger to communities,  appropriate punishment for perpetrators of gender based violence and how students can work with other stakeholders to ensure an end to gender based violence. Over 2000 students across the six schools were reached through this sensitization process.

Police officers from Ekpan Police Station, A-Division and Warri Area Command were in attendance to observe and share information on how to report crimes of violence.

At the end of the sensitization, students from each school pledged to be of good conduct, shun violence and also report all cases of gender based violence.

 

Reaching More Stakeholders

From thence, IWAI visited Effurun Market union and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria to sensitize them on their roles in curbing gender based violence. They agreed to be more proactive in ensuring violent perpetrators are checked by reporting incidents to the police.

 

Afterwards, the team went on a rally in the communities in Warri metropolis.

 

Stakeholders Forum

The final campaign IWAI carried out was at a Stakeholders Forum held at P.T.I Conference Centre in Delta on December 14, 2017, with representatives from the senatorial districts, school authorities, market unions, vigilante groups, Delta State Police Force, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Delta State, traditional rulers, chief inspectors of education, civil society organizations and the media in attendance.

The central theme PIND’s campaign was discussed with life stories of rape and molestation shared and an action plan to curb this was drawn.

A paper presentation by Prof. Akpoborie from Gender Justice looked extensively into gender based violence, the cultural background and religious influences, the physical, emotional and psychological harm inflicted on the victim and more.

At the same event, the Officer in Charge of the Area Command talked about the challenges they face when cases are reported to them and how they want the government to be part of the prosecution process.

PIND’s Capacity Building Officer, Yemi Omire, gave a breakdown of how PIND is mainstreaming gender in project and program areas and further stressed the need for the recognition of the equal rights and a violence free society.