Bauchi Based Committee Commemorates 16 Days Activism Against Gender Based Violence

Carry Advocacy visit to first Bauchi Female Architect 

By Suzan Edeh 

A Bauchi Based State Level Coordination Committee founded by the Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development has commemorated the 16 days Activism Against Gender Based Violence through an advocacy to the first Female Architect, Hajiya Maimuna Umar Hassan.

BausheTimes reports that the committee which comprise of Civil Society Organizations, NGOs, Security, Civil Servants, Media and other stakeholders in the state had its third level body coordinating meeting at the premises of State Ministry of Women Affairs at the State Secretariat in Bauchi, where they deliberated on activities of the committee, challenges and developed a work plan to carry out Advocacy to media houses, tertiary institutions and security agencies in the state.

Speaking shortly after the meeting, the Chairperson of the committee and Gender Desk Officer of the Ministry, Mrs Esther Patrick stated that the Committee was established by the Fahimta Women and Youth Development Initiative with funding from ActionAid Nigeria to champion the voices of women to be heard in the government and the community in the state.

“Today this committee is meeting for the third time after it was inaugurated.We came here to remind ourselves what we are expected to do in our various places of work, our success stories, review where we are having challenges and proffer solutions and chart a way forward.

“One of the deliberations of this meeting is that we planned to carry out Advocacy visits to Organizations like the media, Tertiary Institutions and security Agencies to commemorate the 16 days Activism Against Gender Based Violence. We started by visiting the first Female Architect, Hajiya Maimuna Umar Hassan to advocate to her what we are doing in the committee. We are doing all these, to stop violence against women in our community,” she said.

Also Speaking, the Program Manager Women Voice in Leadership, Mrs. Florence Daniel, said that the Committee meet on a quarterly basis to work towards the safety of women and girls in Bauchi state, adding that the Committee decided to mark  the 16 days Activism Against Gender Based Violence which coincidentally fell during its third meeting.

“The last time the meeting was held, the executives of this committee were inaugurated and after that, they commenced their duties in accordance with the terms and reference of the committee. So we met today to know our challenges, what stage we are in and what actions we can come up with next year so that we can know how to involve women now that the General Elections are fast approaching,” She said.