The Global Women for Quality and Sustainable Development Initiative (GWSD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), says it has identified over 140 survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Edo and has commenced support for them.
Lilian Pinawei, programme officer of the group, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Thursday.
According to her, the survivors are in Edo South Senatorial District of the state.
Mrs Pinawei said the NGO had gotten over 140 GVB survivors, adding that its target, however, was to reach out to 200 GBV survivors from January to September.
“From the statistics gotten so far, we have more women coming out to speak against GBV than girls.
“We observed that most of the girls who experience GBV do not speak out due to fear of stigmatisation,” she said.
She added that the NGO got over 40 cases of GBV against girls in secondary schools in the target area.
“We got the statistics for the secondary school girls from the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board, through its GBV officers at the local government councils.
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“Some of these girls are already in temporary shelters and their cases range from defilement, physical abuse, abandonment, and others,” she said.
NAN reported that the nine months GBV project is funded by the European Union through the Agent for Citizens for Driven Transformation and implemented through the British Council.
The protection support being provided includes temporary shelter, psychosocial, medical, and legal services, as well as skills acquisition and empowerment.
NAN also reported that the project has other components which include GBV awareness creation, advocacy and capacity building for relevant stakeholders.
(NAN)
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