by Akan Ido
Beyond the Classroom Foundation in conjunction with AIESEC Lagos FEAVA Project (Female Empowerment against Violence and Abuse) over the weekend organized a WALK, campaigning to End Violence and Abuse on Women and Girls.
The walk tagged: ‘Youths against Violence and Abuse’ started in UNILAG, reaching out to its environs, and terminating at the take off point. The initiative is to commemorate the UN’s ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women’ which holds every 25th of November.
Participants at the events includes youth, professionals from various fields of work, representatives of Chamagne Foundation, Community Empowerment for Peace and Health, World Youth Alliance( Nigeria), University of Lagos Faculty Presidents, and the press corps.
As the walk progressed, residents of Bariga Lagos were sensitized on the dangers of Violence and Abuse on Women and Girls; short counselling sessions for various group of gathering took place, with special attention given to residents who confessed to being victims of abuse.
The participants carried placards reading ‘No to Gender Based Violence’, ‘Protect HER, Please Protect HER’, ‘Say No to Violence and Abuse’; they wore shirts carrying similar messages such as ‘Violence and Abuse is Wrong’, ‘Protect Her, Don’t Abuse Her’ and distributed handbills along the way.
It is the hope of the coordinator of the project, Ms. Raquel Jacobs that men and the society in general would recognise how to care for the female gender and not abuse her psychologically, emotionally and physically.
The walk is the beginning of a series of events of Beyond the Classroom Foundation’s Hands Up for the Girl Campaign to shine a spotlight on the plight of women and girls
