Paynesville – A not-for-profit organization, Girls For Change, has launched a community engagement initiative on sexual and gender-based violence.
The initiative titled:” Community Engagement on Sexual And Gender Based Violence Response Project” was on Wednesday, August 19, at the organization’s (Girls For Change) head office in the Bassa Town Community in Thinkers’ Village, Robertfield highway.
Giving the overview of the project, the legal consultant of the project, Loretta A. Pope-Kai said the initiative is a two year project that will be implemented in three counties, Montserrado, Bomi, and Grand Cape Mount Counties.
“The Foundation For Community Initiatives(FCI) in collaboration with Girls For Change(GFC) have been engaged by the UN Women, with support from the Women Peace Humiliatarian Fund(WPHF) project that is link to the spotlight initiatives to implement a two-year project under the title:” Community Engagement On Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response Project” that will contribute to UN Women thematic outcomes: Women’s rights groups, autonomous social movements and relevant civil society organizations, including those representing youth, and groups facing intersecting forms of discriminations or marginalization.”
Madam Pope-Kai added: “More effectively, it will influence and advance progress on gender equality, women economic empowerment and ending violence against women and girls, including Sexual Based Violence(SGBV) and Women’s and girls safety, security and human rights.”
Mrs. Pope-Kai explained that Girls For Change will implement the project in four communities in Montserrado County, while the Foundation For Community Initiatives will also implement the project in eight communities in Bomi County and in eight communities in Grand Cape Mount County.
“The fight against sexual and gender based violence needs a holistic approach. And as such, the project will work with key stakeholders to include, government institutions, civil society and community based structures to prevent and respond to sexual and gender based violence,” she said.
She further revealed that at the end of the project, a national report will be launched, highlighting specifically SGBV prevention status.
Mrs. Pope-Kai also revealed that series of dialogues will be conducted to highlight and educate the public on SGBV.
She also added that 500 girls from Montserrado, Bomi, and Grand Cape Mount Counties will benefit from a training on sexual and gender based violence.
However, launching the project, the General Supervisor of the Zone-8, Depot-One (1), Madam Cecelia Brownell said the issue of sexual and gender based violence is everyone’s business.
“This community engagement on sexual and gender based violence is all about we the community, and we the police,”Madam Brownell said.
Madam Brownell attributed the increase in sexual and gender based violence to community dwellers.
“The community people hide these things from us (police). If somebody beat on your child for instance, don’t be afraid that the person will threaten you.
She continues: “Sometimes, when the police responds, you will not see the person that call you. Violence is everybody’s business. If you confide in us, we will work along with you.”
She, however, encourage community dwellers to report SGBV cases to the police.
“The highest thing, report the case to us. If you report the case to us, we will show you the way to go. The reason why these violence continue to repeat is because they are hidding these cases from the police. The community dwellers do not confide in the police,” she added.
For his part, the Chairman of the Bassa Town Community in Thinkers’ Village, Daniel Tentay assured the organization of his communty full support to the project.
Tentay said the community with work with the organization to ensure that SGBV cases are track and reported to the police.
However, the organization also develop a “Home Spotlight” online appilcation that will be used to tract and respond to SGBV cases via the Internet.
Meanwhile, the project comes in the wake of the increasing wave of sexual and gender-based violence in the country.