About 40 Primary Healthcare Workers in Kwali and Abaji area councils of the FCT, have benefitted from a training on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) by an NGO.
The Executive Director of the Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls, Mrs Abiodun Essiet, said this on Thursday, during the one-day training at the Kwali Area Council.
The training was themed: “Strengthening the capacities of PHCs and Ward Development Committee (WDC), on SGBV, Case Management and Access to Efficient Healthcare Service Delivery”.
Essiet said that the focus of the training was to empower the front liners of the health sector at the grassroots with the necessary knowledge needed to reduce SGBV.
“What we are doing here is to train this WDC and PHCs at the ward levels, because they are the officers in charge of health service delivery at the wards.
“We are basically promoting efficient healthcare delivery, because the WDC (Ward Development Committees) have a major role to play in initiating and coordinating anything that has to do with healthcare in their community.
“They are also the ones liaising with the political leaders to advocate for better healthcare.
“So the major thing we are doing is to strengthen their capacity in this regard, and also train them on what they should know about SGBV, because they are the front liners at the ward levels,” she said.
Essiet said that the training which was supported by the MacArthur Foundation, had been carried out at other area councils in the FCT, and the Kwali-Abaji training, was the last phase of the programme.
“We have 20 primary healthcare workers and 20 ward development committees here in the Kwali-Abaji training.
“We have similarly done same in Gwagwalada and Kuje area councils, as well as in AMAC and Bwari area councils.
“The goal is to train all the primary healthcare front liners at the ward levels on SGBV, and to encourage them to help victims break the norm of silence, especially where someone who has been abused comes to them.
“They are to encourage them and not re-victimise them or judge them, but to help them access authorities that handle such cases, instead of being silenced by religious norms and values,” she said.
Mr Danladi Chiya, Chairman of Kwali Area Council, lauded the organisers for the apt training.
Chiya who was represented by Mr Saidu Salihukolo, Kwali Supervisory Councillor on Special Duties, said that the training was the first of its kind in the council, and more should be organised to bring SGBV to a total halt.
“This is the first of its kind. For us to have such a unique programme that focuses on such a threatening national issue.
“We sincerely appreciate the organisers because we believe that with the knowledge gained here today, it will boost speaking up against SGBV and other forms of harassment in our rural area.
“Most of the people here are from the urban area of the councils, and we have told them to liase with the organisers on how to step down this knowledge to the rural areas, ” he said.
Mrs Abosede Bamidele, the PHCs Officer in charge of Sheda and Galadima in Kwali-Kilankwa Ward, commended the rich and indepth training.
According to Bamidele, the training is apt, direct, and names of body parts are being called, there is no shame or any reason to try and beat around the subject matter here.
“Organising this type of training healthcare workers shows that SGBV is really an issue of concern, and because the PHCs are the first line of contact, we are happy to be trained.
“Apart from being the first point of health contact at the wards, the traditional rulers are also the first contacts within the community and the interior villages.
“So trainings like this should be across board, we will try our best to put into action all we have learned, and also step down the knowledge gained, in order to reduce or stop this menace in our wards,” she said.