Foundation Partners French Govt in Fight Against Gender-Based Violence

• Action is ongoing in the fight against gender-based violence across secondary schools in Nigeria
• The Fame Foundation, in collaboration with the French government, launched an outreach to sensitise and train the girl-child self-defence
• The Foundation flagged off a 16-day School-Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) activism programme

FCT, Abuja - In the quest to eradicate gender-based violence in Nigeria, the Female Advocacy Monitoring and Empowerment Foundation (FAME), in partnership with the French Embassy, flagged off a 16-day School-Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV) activism programme.

The programme was launched on Wednesday, December 7, at the Old Parade Ground Abuja indoor sports hall.

Participants of the event were teenage girls in high school who were assembled to be taught the art of self-defence in other to impede and intercept any form of violence against them.

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Speaking at the event's inauguration, the executive director of FAME Foundation, Mrs Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello, said the programme was set up because of the increasing rate of violence against girls at various schools.

She said:

"Hence the STANDUP Against SRGBV is organised to enlighten them on the different forms of GBV and empower them to defend themselves through self-defence training.

"Every girl shall exit this space with heightened confidence and zero doubts that she can defend herself against occurrences of GBV and take action within and around her school."

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Speaking to Legit.ng, the program officer of technical cooperation of the French Embassy, Camille Oren, revealed that this is one of the many initiatives the French government supports in ensuring proper sensitisation and the fight against violence against women.

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Oren said:

"The French Embassy has a rich programme to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. So the objective was to raise cultural actions to raise awareness, galvanise efforts towards the elimination of violence against women and girls."

She stated that the collaboration with FAME Foundation is to promote a more practical and operational initiative to train young girls to learn how to defend themselves.

Oren further revealed that the French Embassy has other affiliations with civil society organisations on gender-based initiatives and climate change.

Meanwhile, Mrs Bello thanked the French Embassy for supporting the initiative and raising awareness in the fight against gender-based violence.

Source: Legit.ng