By Foday Moriba Conteh
As part of its campaign to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls with disabilities and those without, OneFamilyPeople with support from Liliane Fonds has on Wednesday 30th November, 2022 embarked on a Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Awareness Campaign at the Government Model Junior Secondary School and the Government Rokel Senior Secondary School respectively.
The campaign, which was held on the theme: “Unite! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls with Disabilities” is in commemoration of this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence which is an annual international campaign that kicks off on the 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until the 10th December, which is Human Rights Day.
Representing OneFamilyPeople were the Programme Manager, Samuel P.O.V Macauley, the Communications Officer Alafi Taylor, the Programme Officer, Ibrahim A. Tarawally, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, the Filed Officer, Salamatu Laggah and Beatrice S. Davies, Intern.
Addressing the pupils at Government Model School, an Ambassador for One Family People, Aminata Kargbo, who is hearing-impaired, revealed that the Campaign is based on the fact that this social difference is becoming a menace which if not addressed will polarize our society in the near future, adding that the women in the community of PwDs have been very vocal about their concerns that violence against women and girls (especially those with disability) have reached alarming levels despite the Government having made strides to protect them through legislative frameworks, adding that the campaign is to sensitize school pupils on the forms of SGBV, their effects and how to deal with them as well as where to report SGBV related issues.
She further stated that they 16 Days of Activism is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to raise awareness and demand justice for victims of SGBV of which One Family People deemed it fit to embark on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Awareness Campaign in selected schools in order for pupils to take ownership of the fight against the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls in their communities especially those with disabilities.
In his address to pupils of Government Rokel School, the Programme Manager of OneFamilyPeople Samuel P.O.V Macauley said the awareness campaign with the theme “Unite! Activism to End Violence against Women & Girls with Disabilities” includes information on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) with prevention and response mechanisms.
He said Gender Based Violence is on the increase especially among women and girls with disability and it is in that regard that they decided to embark on the campaign in schools which will give pupils the opportunity to know about SGBV and how to prevent it in their schools and communities.
The Programme Manager maintained that during the campaign they will ensure mass mobilization of communities of PwDs to promote collective responsibility in the fight to eradicate violence against women and children particularly those with disabilities and further encouraged society to acknowledge that violence against women and children is not only a Government or criminal justice problem, but a societal problem, and that failure to view it as such results in all efforts failing to eradicate this scourge in the communities.
He encouraged them to serve as Ambassadors in their schools and their different communities ,as girls he also used the opportunity to educate them on where to report GBV related issues of which he told them to call 116 Toll Free line in order to report GBV related issues.
A teacher of Government Model Secondary School expressed appreciation to One Family People for bringing the awareness raising campaign to their school which they described as a very timely intervention towards empowering their students to serve as their sister’s keepers.
He further assured the organization that their school will champion the campaign to end sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the pupils, Fatu Sesay, a SSS 3 pupil of the Government Rokel Senior Secondary School commended OneFamilyPeople for undertaking such an awareness raising campaign which she described as not only important but a timely intervention towards the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls in the country.
She called on other organizations to join OneFamilyPeople‘s campaign and assured OFP that as pupils they will serve as Ambassadors towards the Elimination of Violence against Women and girls not only in their schools but there society as well.
