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Project: Preventing Women’s Ill-treatment/Rehabilitating Widows
Violence toward women and girls, lack of basic human rights and harmful traditional practices leave women victimised and vulnerable. Concern Universal is helping to protect women, provide them with their basic needs and encourages communities to change their damaging behaviour.
24
local authorities trained in human rights
160
victimised women provided with tools and training to make their own income
The Crisis
In South East Nigeria, domestic violence and female genital mutilation (FGM) are common. In rural areas, 80% of women have been assaulted by their husbands. Women have few rights and the lack of education, legal protection, employment opportunities and property rights keep their position in society inferior to men. Widows are even more vulnerable, with no man to protect and provide land or a home. FGM is seen as a traditional cultural practice in some areas, with 77% of women being cut.
How we help
Concern Universal wants to end the abuse of women and help them receive their basic human rights. This project reduces the level of ill-treatment of women including domestic violence, FGM and widows rights abuse. It encourages equality and promotes the role of women in society. It will educate families through a network of ‘Peer Educators’- trained members of the community who promote behavioural change and act as role models. By teaching the community through rallies, talks and films, it will encourage communities not to tolerate abuse and report incidents to the authorities. It will provide skills and business training, to help women earn an income to help support themselves and their family, and to gain respect in their community. It will work at local and state government levels to advocate equality and end ill-treatment toward women.
What we aim to achieve by 2016
This project aims to increase the awareness of 24 traditional authorities on human rights and the causes of abuse to women. It will help train authorities and the police on effective policing of abuse. It aims to train 1,400 local people as Peer Educators to act as role models and advocates for equality and respect for basic rights. It will encourage communities to renounce abuse to women and report any incidents to the authorities. It will help women double their income through suitable livelihood projects.
Funding partners
We know from decades of experience that by working with others – and pooling our expertise and resources – we can achieve much more than we ever could on our own. That might mean working with small, grassroots organisations that have a better understanding of the local context, or joining with other international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to reach greater numbers of people with our campaign messages.
European Commission | AusAid | Cross River State
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