Gender Based Violence – Page 3 – Centre for Family Health Initiative

SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE; MEDIA’S ROLE IN RESHAPING PERCEPTION

Gender, Gender Based Violence, Gender Equality / cfhinitiative

Gender-Based Violence: Media’s Role in Reshaping Perceptions

Media plays a crucial role in reshaping gender-based violence (GBV) perceptions by influencing public awareness, attitudes, and understanding of GBV. Through various platforms like news, movies, TV shows, and social media, media can raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, empower survivors, educate the public, and influence policy and advocacy. However, the media’s responsibility in reporting GBV comes with pitfalls that can perpetuate harmful norms and hinder efforts to address the issue effectively. Examples:

Normalization of Violence:

– Lack of coverage can create an illusion that GBV is not a prevalent issue, normalizing abusive behaviour and attitudes.

Victim Blaming:

– When incidents go unreported or underreported, it can reinforce victim-blaming attitudes, suggesting that survivors are responsible for the violence they experience.

Silencing Survivors:

– Media silence may discourage survivors from coming forward, fearing stigmatization and disbelief, further isolating them and hindering their path to justice and healing.

Lack of Public Awareness:

– Insufficient reporting prevents the public from understanding the scale and severity of GBV, leading to complacency and inaction.

Impeding Policy and Legal Reforms:

– Without media attention, the urgency for policy changes and legal reforms to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable may be undermined.

Missed Opportunities for Prevention:

– Media can be a powerful tool in promoting prevention efforts, but these opportunities are lost without adequate reporting.

Misrepresentation and Stereotyping:

– When incidents are reported, media portrayals may perpetuate harmful stereotypes, reinforcing gender norms and biases.

Undermining Advocacy Efforts:

– Media serves as a conduit for advocacy efforts, but insufficient coverage can hamper campaigns and awareness-raising initiatives.

Fostering a Culture of Silence:

– A lack of media attention can create a culture of silence around GBV, hindering collective efforts to challenge and combat it.

Impact on Funding and Resources:

– Insufficient reporting may lead to reduced funding and resources for organizations working to address GBV, impeding their ability to support survivors and prevent future violence.

The Media’s role in reshaping perceptions of gender-based violence is undeniable and carries a significant responsibility in how it reports on the issue.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #GenderEquality #GenderDiscrimination #Women’sFinance

SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON GENDER BASED VIOLENCE; MEDIA’S ROLE IN RESHAPING PERCEPTION Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON EFFECTS OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION ON WOMEN’S FINANCIAL STABILITY

Gender, Gender Based Violence, Gender Equality, Speak Wednesday, Women, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. However, women experience gender discrimination in both the public and private spheres, which profoundly impacts their life, including their financial stability and status.
The World Bank reports that Nigeria has one of the highest rates of out-of-school girls worldwide. Without adequate education, women’s chances of securing formal employment and escaping low-wage, informal sectors are severely restricted, leaving them vulnerable to financial instability.
Additionally, the gender wage gap still exists despite the Nigerian Labour Act prohibiting wage discrimination based on gender. The World Bank estimates that women in Nigeria make an average of 30% less money than males. The lack of equal pay makes it more difficult for women to save money, invest it, and ensure their financial future.
In Nigeria, there is a sizable gender difference in account ownership, with fewer women than males having access to formal financial services, according to the World Bank’s Global Findex Database.
The bias against women hinders their potential to establish or expand businesses, engage in politics, save finances, and participate in entrepreneurial activities. This, in turn, sustains the vicious cycle of poverty. Additionally, women’s economic empowerment, safety, and autonomy are hindered by gender discrimination, which impacts the country’s GDP and economy.
The World Bank states that achieving gender equality in financial inclusion can help accomplish eight of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This can be achieved through implementing genuine policies and practices promoting gender equality.
By working together to tear down the barriers of gender discrimination in Nigeria, the government, civil society, international organizations, and individuals can change this narrative.
Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.
#SpeakWednesday #GenderEquality #GenderDiscrimination #Women’sFinance

SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON EFFECTS OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION ON WOMEN’S FINANCIAL STABILITY Read More »

GENDER DIGITAL DIVIDE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Gender, Gender Based Violence, Gender Equality, Girl Education, Speak Wednesday, Women Education, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

Digital divide according to Investopedia, encompasses the technical and financial ability to utilize available technology, along with access (or a lack of access) to the internet.

As observed in education and other areas of life, women and girls face a wide divide in the digital space which is significantly taking over the universe and economic opportunities with the world adjusting to the change. This indicates that gender disparity has also found its undeserving place in the digital world.

This wide gender gap in digital access, literacy and skills is caused by the social norms, gender roles and expectations of women in the household. This includes the negative stereotyping of women and girls in their career paths and the assumptions that boys and men do better in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields than girls.

The digital divide against women and girls will worsen gender discrimination and promote unequal access to employment opportunities for girls, which can lead to financial lack and poverty.

Government and stakeholders can work towards the inclusion of girls and women in the digital ecosystem and close the gap by ensuring that girls are educated and have access to ICT, improve gender-responsive systems and programs, and the like.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #Genderbias #GenderDigitalDivide

GENDER DIGITAL DIVIDE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS Read More »

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) 5

Gender, Gender Based Violence, Gender Equality, SDG / cfhinitiative

Among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015 is Sustainable Development Goal 5, whose mission is to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

According to Wikipedia, SDG 5 has nine targets and 14 indicators. Six of the targets are “outcome-oriented”: ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; ending violence and exploitation of women and girls; eliminating harmful practices such as child, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation; the increasing value of unpaid care and promoting shared domestic responsibilities; ensuring full participation of women in leadership and decision-making, and ensuring access to universal reproductive rights and health. The three “means of achieving” targets are: fostering equal rights to economic resources, property ownership, and financial services for women; promoting the empowerment of women through technology; and adopting, strengthening policies, and enforcing legislation for gender equality.

It is a fundamental right of a woman to live free of all discrimination or violence, to have a quality education, work, equal pay, health care, and a wholesome inclusion in political and economic decision-making. Our government needs to take substantial actions to help achieve SDG 5 because the inclusion of women and girls in economic and political decision-making will essentially drive more sustainable development outcomes for all.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #SDG5 #GenderBias #Genderequality

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) 5 Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY – PERIOD POVERTY AND POOR EDUCATION

Gender Based Violence, Gender Equality, Girl Education, Health, Menstrual Health and Hygiene, Reproductive Health, Sanitation, Speak Wednesday, Women, Women Education, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

The backdrop in girls’ education due to lack of menstrual hygiene in Nigeria should no longer be gender issue, but of national concern.

The National Democracy and Health Survey in 2013 has shown that girls make up 60 per cent of the 110.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, and 1 in 10 African girls misses school due to their period, according to UNICEF. In order words, they could miss school for four days or more during which the period lasts, and since they cannot manage their period safely without a good sanitary product, such children are most likely to drop out of school in the long run. Moreso, the hike in menstrual products has left most Nigerian girls and young women with no choice but to use unclean napkins, tissue, leaves, newspapers, or nothing at all, during their menstruation.

The old African proverb says “educate a girl, educate a nation”. To curb this damaging menace caused by period poverty, the Nigerian government should borrow a Leaf from Kenya’s policy which introduced the right to free, sufficient and quality sanitary towels, and basic sanitation facilities for schoolgirls; treating access to sanitary pads as a basic human right. This and the total removal of tax on menstrual products will help to make the girl child stay in school during their monthly flow.

Like Michelle Obama rightly said, when girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous. It is time to embrace this fact and work towards creating a world where everyone irrespective of gender can thrive without limitations.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

#SpeakWednesday #MenstrualRightsAwareness #MenstrualHygiene #MenstrualEquality #GirlsInSchool #EquityAndJustice #MHDay2022 #WeAreCommitted
#reusablesanitarypad

SPEAK WEDNESDAY – PERIOD POVERTY AND POOR EDUCATION Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Gender Based Violence, Speak Wednesday / cfhinitiative

SPEAK STORY

Have you ever wondered why a lot of women and mothers, in particular, are forced to put up with the ills around them despite the harm it could cause or causes them???

In today’s Speak Wednesday we would talk about the inhumane condition a mother is forced to condone, if help is not forthcoming, this may be her fate for the rest of her life and her children.

CFHI has been privy to the knowledge of a mother of four girls (Name withheld) within the environs of Abuja who is married to a businessman for over 15 years. This mother who has had her own fair share of misfortune in life is forced to live with her husband who for most of their marriage sexually abuses his children (four daughters).

According to the mother, for as long as she can remember, her husband has been abusing their four daughters sexually, and all attempts to stop him have proven abortive. She claims to have reported these atrocities to the police on several occasions, but after the husband is apprehended, he is released afterwards when he bribes the police officials. In her own words, which is paraphrased “I no longer seek their help or anyone’s but have left all to fate to take its place in my life”.

This mother reportedly has sought the help of the elders in her hometown, has even travelled to her hometown for the elders to call her husband to order, instead, the intensity of his abuse increases every time she returns to Abuja.

One may ask why she wouldn’t just leave him. Truth is, on the occasions she had tried, she realized that the burden of fending for her children and herself was unbearable with utterly no means of livelihood and no financial support from anywhere.

This story is disheartening because this is just the case for so many other women out there. The cycle of abuse normally leaves women with no money and nowhere to go because oftentimes, they are fully dependent on men to provide for their every need. This is why the need for women to be financially literate so that they can stand for themselves when all odds are against them can never be overemphasized.

Over the years, CFHI has provided thousands of women small grants to start-up businesses that can make them financially independent. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes of Speak Wednesday.

SPEAK WEDNESDAY Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Gender, Gender Based Violence, Health, Speak Wednesday, WHO, Women, Women Education, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

CHILD MARRIAGE – THE MAJOR CAUSE OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS

Child marriage is a widespread violation of human rights. It is an impediment to social and economic development, and it is rooted in gender inequality. The low value placed on girls and women brings about the act and acceptability of child marriage in societies where the practice is common. According to UNICEF, Child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child. Child marriage is principally practiced in the rural and poor communities where young girls are regarded as economic burden and quickly married off to assuage household expenses.

Child marriage has been a common practice among many ethnic groups in the world including Nigeria. However, it has contributed to series of negative consequences both for young girls and the society in which they live. It is a violation of human rights in general and of girl’s rights in particular. For both women and girls, child marriage has profound physical, intellectual, psychological and emotional impacts.

Aside the emotional and mental distress, intolerance, school drop-out, Fistula diseases, early widowhood, frustration and hatred for the man accompanied with child marriage, child marriage is inherently linked to low educational level, social isolation, severe health risks which results in increased gender inequality and vulnerability to poverty for girls, young women, families and the society at a large.

It is essential that efforts be aligned towards providing easy access for girls to entrepreneurial opportunities. In 2020, CFHI through Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) and Catholic Caritas Foundation of Nigeria (CCFN) funded projects empowered 453 women with non- interest loans to start or expand their businesses, thereby increasing their social economic capital while empowering them with financial literacy and accountability. CFHI did not only provide loans, but also provided 97 startup kits to adolescents who were trained in different skills including sewing, barbing, hair dressing, baking, furniture making, Computer, among others. Thirty-three (33) newly enrolled adolescents are still in training.

As we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science tomorrow, the promotion of girl education should be a priority for NGOs and the Government. This is an ideal solution to the issue of girl-child marriage.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of gender based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

SPEAK WEDNESDAY Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Gender, Gender Based Violence, Health, Health Communication, Speak Wednesday, Teenage Pregnancy, WHO, Women, Women Education, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

EFFECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON CHILDREN

Domestic violence unlike other forms of violence is the most entrenched and pervasive form of violence in our society today. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, homes where violence between partners occur, there is a 45% to 60% chance of co-occurring child abuse, a rate 15 times higher than the average. This is to show that even when children are not physically attacked, they witness 68% to 80% of domestic assaults.

The effects of domestic violence can be devastating and long lasting especially on children. Witnessing abuse and living in an environment where someone else, usually a care giver is a victim of abuse, can be psychologically devastating for a child. Such children often believe that they are to blame, live in a constant state of fear, and are 15 times more likely to be victims of child abuse.

Wikipedia states that Children in homes where one parent is abused may feel fearful and anxious. They may always be on guard, wondering when the next violent event will happen which can cause them to react in different ways, depending on their age and this may include but not limited to delays in cognitive and emotional development, extreme withdrawal or aggressiveness, anxiety disorders, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. These children are also at higher risk for health problems as adults, these can include mental health conditions, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, poor self-esteem, among others.

Children who are witnesses to domestic violence have a greater likelihood of repeating the cycle of violence as adults by entering abusive relationships or becoming abusers themselves. For example, a boy who sees his mother being abused is a lot more likely to abuse his female partner as an adult. A girl who grows up in a home where her father abuses her mother is according to research more than six times as likely to be sexually abused as to a girl who grows up in a non-abusive home.

How successful a child is at recovering from abuse or trauma depends on several factors. Children can be resilient or sensitive to issues of abuse. Having good support systems or good relationships with trusted adults and healthy friendships can aid in easy recovery. The sooner a child gets help, the better his or her chances for becoming a mentally and physically healthy adult.

Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) through its psychosocial support programs has reached thousands of children who are vulnerable and exposed to any form of violence. Also, Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of gender-based violence and gender bias.

Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

SPEAK WEDNESDAY Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY

Female Roles in Nation Building, Gender, Gender Based Violence, Health, Health Communication, Mental Health, Postpartum Depression, Speak Wednesday, Teenage Pregnancy, WHO, Women, Women Education, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Effects of Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in a woman 19 years of age or younger. A woman can get pregnant if she has vaginal sex with a man at any age after she’s begun having regular monthly periods.

Teenage pregnancies are a global problem that occurs in high, middle, and low income countries. However, there is a higher prevalence in marginalized communities, commonly driven by poverty and lack of education and employment opportunities. According to World Health Organisation (W.H.O), approximately 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years and 2.5 million girls under 16 years give birth each year in developing regions and the leading cause of mortality for this age group is complication during pregnancy and childbirth. Many girls face considerable pressure to marry early and become mothers at a tender age. Teenage pregnancy increases when girls are denied the right to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and well-being.

Studies show that teen mothers face significant levels of stress that can lead to increased mental health concerns. In addition to higher rates of postpartum depression, teenage mothers have higher rates of depression. Pregnant teens also have a higher chance of becoming anemic which is a reduction in the number of red blood cells (RBCs). This can make you feel weak and tired and can affect your baby’s development. They also have higher rates of suicidal ideation than their peers who aren’t mothers. Teen mothers are more likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than other teenage women, as well and this is attributed to the fact that they are more likely to have gone through mental and/or physical abuse.

Many pregnant teens drop out of school, and some never complete their education which means that a large proportion of mothers who get pregnant as teenagers live in poverty and are not able to realize their full potential. Their children are not left out also, born to a teenage mother, they have greater risk for lower birth weight and infant mortality; less prepared to enter kindergarten; are more likely to be incarcerated at some time during adolescence; are more likely to drop out of high school; are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed as a young adult.

When teenagers engage in sexual relationships, they do not think about the consequences. That is why it is pertinent to invest much in the issue of reproductive health with more emphasis on adopting the right attitudes about responsible sexual behavior.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of gender based violence and gender inequality. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

SPEAK WEDNESDAY Read More »

SPEAK WEDNESDAY

16DaysOfActivism, Female Genital Mutilation, Gender, Gender Based Violence, Health / cfhinitiative

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND ITS EFFECTS

“Have you ever heard of Female genital mutilation? The doctor asked me. This was after my over 20 hours of labor, an ordeal which left me depressed for over a month. It took me a while before I responded because it was the least question I ever would imagine answering at such moment.
I had just come out of one of the difficult deliveries he had ever carried out he continued after I replied “yes”. A delivery which at first didn’t seem like I was going to spend more than 6 hours at most because I was 100% effaced and with my labor progression, getting dilated would not be so much of a trouble. After being fully dilated and the baby just wouldn’t come down the delivery canal, an assisted delivery using a vacuum extractor was performed which left me with a vaginal hematoma and still with no baby, I was opted for a caesarean section due to the excessive bleeding and the other effects an obstructed labor has on both mother and unborn child. After all the medical jargons, he finally disclosed I had been genitally mutilated probably as a child and it was the reason for the complications I had just experienced.”

The above near death experience was recounted by Mrs Mary Alex, a human rights activist and a current volunteer at Centre for Family Health Initiative ……….

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional practice that has no medical benefit and severe health consequences for girls and women. According to Wikipedia, It is a procedure that involves partial or completely removing the external females genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whenever for non-medical reasons. FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It deprives them of the opportunity to make critical and informed decisions about their sexuality. It is an act which is deeply rooted in cultural beliefs and perceptions. Data shows that Nigeria, due to its large population, has the highest number of female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide. About 20 million women and girls in Nigeria have undergone female genital mutilation which is 10% of the global total.

There are 4 types of FGM; Type I, Type II, Type III and Type IV. Types I and II are most prevalent, but variation exists within countries and communities. Type III is experienced by about 10 per cent of all affected women. FGM has serious implications for the sexual and reproductive health of girls and women. Its effects vary depending on the type performed, the expertise of the practitioner and the conditions under which it is performed. Complications can include severe pain, shock, hemorrhage, infection, urine retention and more. In some cases, hemorrhage and infection can be severe enough to cause death. Long-term risks include complications during childbirth (difficult delivery, excessive bleeding, caesarean section, need to resuscitate the baby, etc.) and newborn deaths; vaginal problems (discharge, itching, bacterial vaginosis and other infections); menstrual problems (painful menstruations, difficulty in passing menstrual blood, etc.); scar tissue and keloid; sexual problems (pain during intercourse, decreased satisfaction, etc.) and psychological problems (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, etc.) among others.

Despite the graveness of the issue, the practicing societies consider it as a necessary part of raising a girl, and a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage. It is seen as a sure medium to ensure premarital virginity and marital fidelity.
Currently, 13 out of 36 states in Nigeria have their own individual state laws expressly prohibiting FGM/C. These states are Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Ogun, Delta, Ebonyi, Oyo, Imo, Edo, Cross-River and Rivers. The 2015 Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) acknowledges FGM as a criminal act, however since its enactment, there has been no convictions. Out of the 36 states, only 4 states: Abuja, Anambra, Oyo and Ebonyi have domesticated or actively enforced the law.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of gender based violence and gender inequality. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

SPEAK WEDNESDAY Read More »