An orientation workshop with radio broadcasters and social media platform actors on communication approaches and content for mass sensitization on Gender Based Violence and Sexual Reproductive Health was on Thursday September 19th 2019 held at Blue Pearl Hotel, Bamenda.
Organized by Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD) with funding from the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), the one day conclave brought together 35 media actors within the N.W region drawn from 10 community radio stations and 5 social media platforms to share strategies on communication that leads to changes in attitudes, behaviours and practices for GBV prevention and seeking responses for GBV survivors and those in need of Sexual Reproductive Health services.
Since the advent of the ongoing Anglophone crisis, many women, girls and children are becoming more and more vulnerable to GBV as a result of school shutdown and internal displacement leading to high risk behaviours like drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, rape and promiscuity. Several instances have been reported of state and non state fighters indulging into rape usually after drugging themselves.
The United Nations Fund for Population Assessment has since March 2018 in collaboration with the Delegations of Women Empowerment and the Family and Public Health, Medecin du Monde Suisse been carrying out different interventions like assessments, capacity building, awareness raising and direct actions to prevent and respond to GBV in the N.W region. COMINSUD is thus being supported by UNFPA to carry out extensive sensitisation, dissemination of GBV/SRH referral pathway and connect survivors as well as interested needy persons to qualified and specialized service points.
Article 1 and 2 of UN General Assembly Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines Gender Based Violence as any act that results in or likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women because of being women and to men because of being men including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.
To reestablish victims of GBV, there exists the Listening and Orientation Unit at the Bamenda Regional Hospital where all medical attention offered to rape survivors is free of charge. Moreover, the regional delegation of Women Empowerment and the Family has a Safe Space in charged of counselling and follow up, referral and provision of a dignity kit to each GBV survivor containing basic needs. Currently, there are plans to open Shelter Homes for survivors.
The workshop ended with attendees being provided a sensitisation manual on the subject, recorded spots and microprograms on Family Planning, Safe Delivery, GBV, Menstrual Hygiene, STI/HIV, T-shirts, posters and information leaflets to support community sensitisation via broadcast and social media. Broadcast agreements were also signed with the selected radio stations and social media actors that shall be carrying out the campaign.
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