By Ruth Oketunde
The Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls (AEIG) has called on healthcare workers to provide prompt response to victims of sexual and gender-based violence in their health facilities.
Mrs Abiodun Essiet, Executive Director, AEIG, made the call at a one-day capacity training for healthcare workers and members of the Ward Development Committees on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the participants were drawn from various primary health care centres in Gwagwalada and Kuje area councils of FCT.
Essiet, who was represented by the Project Officer of the organisation, Josephine Emeghoghena, said the “workshop is aimed at improving the knowledge of the healthcare workers on rapid response to gender-based violence cases.
“We are here to sensitise and create more SGBV awareness and train healthcare workers in primary healthcare centres in Gwagwalada and Kuje area councils of the FCT on how to tackle the menace.
“We want to build their capacity on how to effectively address SGBV and how to attend to victims who report cases to them.
“The cardinal message is that we all and not just health workers should take SGBV cases seriously by always reporting such whenever it takes place in our environment.
“We should act fast because the victims lives matter. If there are issues of spousal battery or rape, then the victim’s life is in danger.
“There is tendency that it might lead to death, so as concerned citizens, we must act quickly by reporting cases and ensuring that we also prevent such violence in our communities.”
Mr Gerald Telah, Chairman,Ward Development Committee, FCT Chapter, said the committee encouraged people to report cases of gender-based violence to the community leaders.
He added that it was also important for members of the communities to be security conscious and be mindful of how they leave their wards so as not to fall prey of perpetrators
