By Kemi DaSilva | WARIF Founder
We are reporting to you for the first time from the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) - an Advocacy Project (AP) partner organization that thrives to prevent sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) amongst young girls and women in Lagos, Nigeria.
In Nigerian society, women are regarded as inferior to men, and the issue of SGBV is not talked about. This is detrimental to women young and old, considering that one in four females in Nigeria experience sexual violence as a child and 10,000 girls in Nigeria experience sexual violence every day. According to UNFPA, this type of violence is currently growing astronomically in Nigeria. Insurgency in the northeast of the country has exacerbated the problem, leading to more and more cases of early and forced marriages, human trafficking, and physical and emotional sexual violence against women.
In an effort to ensure that all girls live in a society free of rape and sexual violence, WARIF launched the WESP Summer School Program. Thanks to your donation, 107 girls between the ages of 13 and 19 in the Surulere Senior Secondary School were educated on the signs and prevention of SGBV. Girls engaged in informative and interactive lessons with SGBV professionals who led sessions titled "What is Abuse," "My Body and I," "Speak Out," and "Unmasking the Abuser." Through these sessions, girls were able to:
The results are telling. During the four week session, the rate of sexual activity among the girls was reduced by 8%. Self esteem increased by 42%, knowledge of protectors increased by 72%, the ability to identify a perpetrator increased by 49%, and the courage to speak out increased by 34%. Wakilat, a beneficiary of the program, reported that now she is " more encouraged to speak out because there are people out there who can help [her], like WARIF and the Police". In only one month, the lives of these 107 girls has changed dramatically. Your support and contribution has allowed this to happen.
Because of your contribution to the success of this program, we can finally see a change in the deep-rooted culture of SGBV in Nigeria, and we are optimistic that one day it will have an end. We cannot thank you enough.
With gratitude,
WARIF and The AP team
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