The USAID-IHP in collaboration with the Ebonyi State GBV Task Force – gender based violence, have appealed to the government of Ebonyi state to provide safe house for survivors of GBV in Ebonyi state.
The team led by the Coordinator, Faithvin Nwanchor, made the appeal on Monday, during an Advocacy visit to the commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Princess Chinwe Okah.
The task force team said about 13 cases have been recorded in the year but most of the survivors fell prey to the hands of the perpetrators because there was no safe space to shelter them while the case was being investigated.
Adding that lack of safe space hinders medical attention to the survivors.
Faithvin Nwanchor, in her remarks said the advocacy visit was to demand the need for a Shelter in the State for survivors to enhance protection while providing legal counseling.
According to Faithvin, the need for a safe space for GBV survivors having a shelter in the State was long overdue.
Chinwe Okah, in her remarks said that information without data cannot attract government attention and appealed to CSOs not to withhold information from the ministry.
She assured that the ministry will intensify effort to get a safe space for the state.
Mr. Felix Nwaeseni, Child Protection Specialist and member of the GBV Situation Room, from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in his submission promised to work closely with the state women Affairs to see that Shelter is identified and established by December 2021.
According to him he was pleased with members of the task force on their collaboration and timely reporting to the state ministry as their efforts would be captured in the national GBV incidences dashboard.
The Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor, Emily Okon, on her part, assured that the team will work closely with the commissioner, the GBV task force, and the Child Protection Specialist from the federal ministry of women Affairs to see that a safe space is provided for GBV survivors in the state by December 2021.
While briefing the commissioner on the activities of the team, the Deputy Coordinator, Flora Egwu, said about 15 cases of GBV have been attended to by the team. She hinted that the team paid house rent for a widow whose right to her child was being violated.
“Our problem is a safe space for survivors of GBV.
“We want the ministry to take up the challenge of providing a safe space for survivors because the best way to save the children and make success stories is to take the children out of the environment where the perpetrator is.
So the team is relying on the ministry for the safe space”, She said.