Zamfara-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Voluntary Aid Initiative (VAI), has sensitised some communities on how to address barriers on access to justice.
The project officer to the NGO, Mr Buhari Ya’u Moriki, stated this in chat with newsmen in Gusau Sunday.
He stated that the theme of the program was, “Awareness and Advocacy Campaign program for increased access to Justice aimed at addressing the identified the barriers on access to Justice.”
Moriki stated that the sensitisation has been carried out in Tsafe, Bilbis, Birnin-Magaji and Nasarawa-Godel communities under Birnin Magaji and Tsafe local government areas of the state.
“The sensitisation was conducted in collaboration with International Alert under a Project Promoting Stability, Access to Justice and Accountability in North West,” he said.
He further pointed out that the country director of the International Alert, Paul Nyulaku, was represented by the National Project Manager, Mr Sunday Momoh Jimoh, accompanied by the National Gender Equity and Social Inclusion officer of the NGO, Mrs Fatima Saidu Inusa.
Moriki added that the aim of the project is to ensure inclusive participation of community groups in alternative dispute resolution to reduce the prevalence of community-level violence.
“The project also aimed at providing marginalised groups, especially women with opportunities and platforms to make their voices heard and advocate for their concerns,” Moriki said.
He added that the project focused on how to create favourable environment for women and other vulnerable groups by dealing with prevalent sexual and gender-based violence.
He stated further that a total of 180 participants across the four communities including religious and community leaders, youth, women groups, people with disability and minority groups among others were involved.
“In each of the four communities, we selected 30 women and 20 men who participated in the sensitisation program,” he said.
He appealed to stakeholders to work as a team to sensitise other community members on how to seek for justice, especially on issues related to SGBV.
