State Partnership Against Gender Based Violence (SPAG) inaugurated in Osun

Towards Improved Social Inclusion and Elimination of Gender based Violence (EMPOWER PROJECT) in Osun and Kwara, State Partnership Against Gender Based Violence (SPAG) has been inaugurated.

 The inauguration of the fifteen selected committee members among important stakeholders of the State, who are to use Multi-sectoral and Multi-level approach to address Gender Based Violence on Women and Girls with disabilities, held at Omilas Continental Hotel Conference Hall. From the Committee Members selected as Partners against the Gender Based Violence (SPAG), which includes representative from the State Ministry of Youths and Sports, Special Needs Department, Women Wing of Joint Association of Persons with Disabilities, Osun Command of the Nigerian Police, Principal of Special Needs School Osogbo, Community Based Organizations (CBO), as well as Legal and Media practitioners among others, executives for the Committee was chosen. The members of the SPAG Committee that emerged as Executives are, SoLife BoT Chairman: Mr Aremu Stephen Akinyele as SPAG Chairman, PPRO Osun Command of the Nigerian Police: CSP Folasade Odoro as SPAG Vice Chairman and Desk Officer Osun Ministry of Youths and Sports: Mrs Elizabeth Ogunleye as the Committee Secretary. In his inaugural opening remark, the SPAG Committee Chairman who also double as the Chairman BOT Society For Life Changers and Good Parental Care (SoLife), Mr Aremu Stephen Akinyele welcomed the Committee members on board the EMPOWER PROJECT which he said is aimed to fight for the Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities in the State. Aremu said SoLife EMPOWER Project as approved by UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) and United Nations Entity for Gender and the Empowerment of Women (“UN WOMEN”) which will be implemented in nine local governments Osun and five local governments in Kwara state is targeted towards assenting the passage of Gender Based Violence/Persons with Disabilities Bill.

He charged the inaugurated Committee members to see the selection as a call to serve humanity, he also said they should heighten their passion to ensure that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are sought, and good history of protecting the category of such target are made. In her brief talk on the overview of EMPOWER Project, the SoLife Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Mrs Aanuoluwapo Odedeji Ibidun said the NGO has been working on Gender Based Violence issues since year 2016, she added that expansion was made to more Local Government areas with prevalent rate. She stated that the Committee is expected to oversee Peer Education through the capacity building training from the Gender Based Champions and Counselors to others in their cluster, adding further that Guidance and Counseling Unit has kicked off in Special Needs Schools in the state, and sensitization through Television broadcast on Gender Based Violence is held weekly. Talking about what is expected of the State Partnership Against Gender Based Violence (SPAG) Committee, the SoLife Project Manager Mrs Adeola Falana stated that Committee will meet quarterly to deliberate on EMPOWER Project, Monitor the Project activities, Evaluate and make Recommendations to achieve the overall result of eliminating Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities in Osun. She also added that consistent advocacy visits to Communities and key stakeholders for transformation of the Persons with Disabilities Bill to Act is one of the objectives of the SPAG Committee. In her closing remark, the Vice Chairman of the SPAG Committee, the Press and Public Relations Officer, Osun Command of the Nigerian Police, CSP Folasade Odoro charged the Committee to brace up their passion in the humanity service by adding value, protecting and giving confidence to the Women and Girls with Disabilities. She added that cases handled shows that Women and Girls with Disabilities are silently suffering and are prone to Violence from their family up to Community level, and she called out that with necessary measure in place, Gender Based Violence will be eliminated in the State.