By Lizzy Carr
Multi sectoral stakeholders working on gender based violence GBV have developed a GBV referral pathways to facilitate easy response to victims.
The development of the pathway came up at the ongoing 3 Day USAID Integrated Health Program (IHP) workshop on Developing a multi sectoral Gender_Based Violence referral pathway held in Bauchi.
Technical Director IHP Dr Ibrahim Kabo said referral pathway is an important approach to tackle GBV, where victims can seek for response and redress.
“Multi sectoral approach that include Health, Shelter, Psychosocial support, security and Legal sector response will give the victim or the public direction on how to look for response in of case any GBV”.
“The question is why is GBV given less attention in our community? It is because most of the victims are from poor home or what”, Dr. Kabo queried
He said the referral pathway Will improve coordination and collaboration between stakeholders working on Gender Based Violence in the State.
“Stakeholders need to come together and push for justice for victims”, the public health expert said.
Also speaking, the Executive chairman state primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed said parents must be vigilant and should teach their children good morals.
“Ethics and values are key to development and thus the community must abide by these”.
Domestic violence is a component of GBV that families don’t want to talk about, they prefer to be silence, a factor that has continued to promote it in our society”, said Dr. Mohammed.
In her remarks, the Director women in the Bauchi state ministry of women Affairs and Child Development, Fatima Abdullahi said the workshop will activate and strengthen stakeholders views to ensure pro-active and effective handling of GBV cases.
Abdullahi said the ministry has introduced a dashboard to facilitate the collation of data and reported GBV cases.
Also speaking the Gender, social inclusion and community engagement Advisor IHP Helen John said the referral pathway will help map out GBV service points, response and contacts of stakeholders that survivors and victims can link up to for help.
The stakeholders were drawn from the State GBV technical and Action committee, Civil Society Organisations, the Media and Government Agencies.