A non-governmental organisation, Centre for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN) has organised capacity building workshop for key stakeholders as part of means of tackling abuse against girls and women with disabilities in Osun State.
This is coming after the organisation had led critical stakeholders into signing the Technical Action and Sustainability Plan (TASP) on prevention and response to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), especially those with disabilities in the state.
The capacity building workshop was hosted by CEWHIN with support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women and Girls with Disabilities, at the hall of the State Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare in Osogbo.
Key stakeholders who attended the programme included government ministries, law enforcement agencies, CSOs and PWD-centred organisations in Osun State.
The workshop aimed to enhance the capacity of stakeholders to engage and educate the community about changing harmful societal structures, assumptions, perceptions, and understandings impacting women and girls with disabilities.
In his opening remarks, the Director of CEWHIN, Atinuke Odukoya, focused on addressing negative attitudes, beliefs, and norms related to gender and disability. The key points she stressed included the necessity for mindset shifts among GBV actors in Osun State, setting standards for disability inclusion in GBV service provision, and strengthening the capacity of practitioners to work with survivors.
According to her, the Capacity Building Workshop On EVAW Prevention And Response For Key Stakeholders And Partners In Osun State on Prevention of EVAW and Response to Women and Girls with Disabilities is to ensure a strengthened and better coordinated EVAWGWD response system in Osun State in which service providers are equipped to meet the needs of WGWDs.
She said parts of the duties of stakeholders are to engage and educate the community about how to change societal structures, assumptions, perceptions, and understandings that can be harmful to women with disability.
Odukoya highlighted how socialization shapes our perceptions of gender roles, power dynamics, and acceptable behaviour through various “agents of socialization”—individuals, groups, institutions, and experiences that influence social development and worldviews.
The session emphasised that discriminatory attitudes, beliefs, norms, and structures underpin GBV against persons with disabilities, affecting all societal levels, including GBV service providers and partners.
Odukoya noted that society plays a crucial role in addressing SGBV by shaping attitudes, norms, and behaviors, promoting gender equality, respect, and consent, and challenging traditional gender norms and cultural attitudes.
She said by driving collective action towards prevention, intervention, and support, society can foster a culture of mutual respect and non-violence, creating transformative shifts in attitudes, behaviors, policies, and systems in the fight against SGBV.
Leading a session on the implementation of the Technical Action and Sustainability Plan (TASP), Dr. Ayeni Oluropo emphasised the crucial roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against women and girls (VAWG).
He highlighted the importance of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) mainstreaming, emphasizing that gender equality ensures equal rights, opportunities, and respect for all genders, while social inclusion improves participation for disadvantaged individuals by enhancing opportunities and access to resources.
According to him, the GESI approach addresses power imbalances and inequalities stemming from social identities such as gender, disability, and socio-economic status. It was underscored that women and girls with disabilities face unique forms of GBV/VAWG, including physical, sexual, and psychological abuses specific to their disabilities. The session concluded by outlining the vital roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in effectively preventing and responding to these issues, reinforcing the need for a collaborative and inclusive approach.
Ajibola Alade, from the Ministry of Justice, Osun State, provided an overview of the GBV prevention and response system, emphasizing access to justice for survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG), and also covered the legal frameworks, including the Osun State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law (VAPP) 2021 and the Disability Law.
Alade disclosed that the VAPP Law outlines various GBV offences and their punishments, including life imprisonment for rape, which has been broadly defined to encompass all forms of non-consensual penetration.
According to him, the law mandates compensation for victims, establishes a sexual offenders register, and criminalizes acts such as female genital mutilation, political violence, and economic abuse. It also provides for protection orders to safeguard individuals from domestic violence, with specific procedures for obtaining these orders.
The session emphasized the role of stakeholders in GBV prevention, the importance of safeguarding principles, and the rights of survivors. The VAPP Law ensures comprehensive protection and support for PWDs, mandating equal treatment, education, and participation in community life. The Ministry of Justice and other stakeholders are committed to enforcing these laws and ensuring the safety and well-being of all individuals in Osun State.
While making her presentation safeguarding and effective communication focused on strategies for responding to and preventing violence against women and girls with disabilities, CEWHIN’s Stella Osho highlighted the principles of safeguarding – empowerment, prevention, proportionality, protection, partnership, and accountability – as crucial in creating safe environments.
According to her, “These principles are particularly relevant in psychosocial first-aid, where immediate assistance, recognizing signs of distress, and connecting individuals with support services are vital. Effective communication was highlighted as a critical skill, involving the clear exchange of information and ideas, with active listening being key to building trust, preventing misunderstandings, and encouraging open dialogue.”
The session underscored the importance of these approaches in promoting safety, preventing further harm, and empowering women and girls with disabilities.
At the end of the workshop, stakeholders believe that their collaborative efforts will drive the change needed to create a safer, more inclusive society for persons with disabilities.
They mapped out their TASP implementation strategies and reiterated their commitment to seeing to an end to violence against women and girls with disabilities in the state.
