From Henry Ibya, Makurdi
International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA, Benue State branch, has commended Concerned Women International Development Initiative, CWIDI, for its commitment to support the vulnerable population, particularly women and girls.
FIDA also called on CWIDI and other non-governmental organisations to extend their Gender-Based Violence, GBV, awareness campaign to rural communities and involve parents in promoting children’s rights.
The State Chairperson, FIDA, Blessing Tyohuun made the call during an official visit by CWIDI to the FIDA’s office in Makurdi.
She expressed the federation’s willingness to partner organisations like CWIDI that share the mission of protecting and empowering vulnerable groups.
“Our core mandate is protecting women and children,” Tyohuun said, stressing that when other organisations take up this cause, especially through practical initiatives like CWIDI’s, FIDA is ready to collaborate.
Tyohuun highlighted the increasing cases of GBV, particularly against young girls and announced that FIDA would launch a grassroots awareness campaign between July and August.
The outreach, she said, would include secondary schools, universities and polytechnics, with focus on educating adolescent girls and young women about their rights and the dangers of GBV, including cyberbullying.
“Many young girls suffer online abuse without knowing it. They need to understand what GBV looks like and how to report it. We are committed to working with CWIDI to achieve that,” she said.
In her remarks, the immediate past Chairperson of FIDA, Prisca Ula, decried the exploitation of young girls online, including cases where their images are used for pornography without consent, stressing the importance of educating girls about sexual abuse and encouraging them to speak out.
She advised CWIDI to continue to integrate parental education into its programmes and leverage public events like Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day to raise awareness about children’s rights and parenting responsibilities.
Speaking, CWIDI’s Senior Programme Officer, Becky Gbihi said the organisation’s visit was to introduce its upcoming programme and invite FIDA’s executive members to a stakeholders meeting scheduled for July 2 and 3 in Makurdi.
She acknowledged FIDA’s long-standing leadership in advancing women’s rights and justice.
Gbihi explained that CWIDI’s planned programme would focus on educating adolescent girls, young women and young female sex workers on TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention, stressing the connection between health and overall wellbeing.
