Call for Proposals: HIV & Violence Against Women

Call for Proposals: HIV Young Leaders Fund

The Fund seeks grant proposals from organizations working to address the needs of young people most-affected by HIV in their communities, including young people living with HIV. Deadline for applications: May 1, 2010.

Read more


*****************

Deadline Extended: 3 Calls for Proposals: UNIFEM: "Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls", "Working with the Security Sector to End Violence against Women and Girls", and "Working with the Justice Sector to End Violence against Women and Girls"

The knowledge asset on "Campaigns to End Violence Against Women and Girls" (distilled programming guidance, programme examples and case studies) should be tailored to provide practical guidance for the development and implementation of campaigns that address gender-based violence specifically.

The focus of the module "Working with the Security Sector to End Violence against Women and Girls" is to provide 'state-of-the-art' how-to guidance on working with the security sector to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls.

The focus of the module "Working with the Justice Sector to End Violence against Women and Girls" is to provide 'state-of-the-art' how-to guidance on working with the justice sector (in particular, the informal justice sector) to implement legislation and human rights standards related to ending violence against women and girls.

Deadline for proposals has been extended to April 23, 2010 and for the knowledge asset to April 27, 2010.

Read more

Justice for Uzoma

After close to 1 and a half years, Uzoma Okere, the young lady who was infamously dragged out of her car, stripped of her clothing and beaten on a busy Lagos street in November 2008 for not moving her car quickly enough out of the way for some officials of the Nigerian navy, was given the justice she so richly deserved.

Delay tactics from the defendants' lawyers notwithstanding, on Wednesday, January 27 Justice Opeyemi Oke of the Lagos High Court awarded N100 million damages to Ms. Okere and Mr. Abdullahi Abdulazeez (a passenger in her car who was also physically assaulted by the ratings) and ordered that a public apology be made to them through the media. She found Rare Admiral Harry Arogundade, four naval ratings, and the Nigerian Navy guilty of violating the rights of the applicant to dignity.

When delivering her verdict in the case, Justice Oke noted that there are three issues for determination by the court:

1. The court was to determine whether the applicants succeeded in establishing that their fundamental rights was infringed upon;

2. Whether the 1st and 6th defendants (Mr. Arogundade and the Nigerian Navy) are liable for infringing on the rights of the applicants;

3. If the applicants are entitled to the reliefs being sought by them.

The footage shot of the event by a witness from the nearby PriceWaterHouse office building was invaluable in proving the 1st point, as it was obvious from the recording that Ms. Okere and Mr. Abdulazeez did indeed have their rights violated.

According to the article in NEXT, she stated:

"I saw 4 officers in naval uniform, two were holding guns; the 1st applicant was being dragged on the road by the two officers; the applicant became naked from waist to her chest with only her black brazier on." She resolved that the applicant's right was indeed violated.

"She was beaten, pushed, pulled, dragged and made naked with her upper anatomy exposed to all sort of eyes; her private property became the object of a cinema for those who witnessed the unfortunate and disgraceful incident." she said.

Pertaining to the naval ratings that perpetrated the act, Justice Oke said "the officers can be described as barbaric in uniform, who have no respect for womanhood, they have no fear of God. It has got to a time when such officers may have to undergo psychiatric test before being employed."

In determining the 2nd issue i.e. if the 1st and 6th respondents are liable, the judge noted that an employee is the agent of his employer, and such is liable for the wrong doing of his employee.

When summing up, Justice Oke had a wish:

"Blessed shall be the day when civilians will see uniformed men, armed or unarmed officers, and feel secured without any anxiety for their lives. Blessed shall be the day when uniformed men will treat civilians on the road with respect and come to the realisation that they are citizens of the country who are to be protected," declared Justice Oke.

I pray for that day too, because for too long, the uniform has been used by many who wear it to oppress and take advantage of the very citizens these people are meant to protect.

I am happy that justice was served in this case, though it is painful still to know that these ratings and Mr. Arogundade are still serving in the Navy. I Nigeria still has a very lax attitude towards implementing punishment to wrong-doers. This continues to send the message that injustice, corruption, oppression and all manner of violations of the law are permitted by the very institutions that are supposed to be the enforcers of law and order.

Yesterday I saw a police convoy of 2 cars belligerently barge their way through the tedious traffic on Ozumba Mbadiwe. Are they in anymore of a hurry or traffic-averse than the rest of us? Or are they merely abusing the power that their uniform has given them? I think so.

Links:
Watch the footage
Violence against women in Nigeria

Moving Forward in the Fight Against Gender Violence

As we wrap-up this year’s 16 Days Campaign against gender violence, it’s important to identify steps to advance this cause.

Last Friday’s march to protest the rape and murder of youth corper Grace Ushang was an excellent step in raising awareness about not only this incident, but all the other thousands of assaults that take place daily and go unreported. Efforts like this also provide a space for women and advocates against gender violence to get together, support each other and propose progressive measures.

At the march and vigil, protestors made the following recommendations:
- To take measures to guarantee the safety and personal security of youth corps members and indeed all women and girls who remain vulnerable due to impunity amongst perpetrators in Nigeria;
- To pass the Bill on Violence Against Women presented to the House of Representatives since April 2002;
- To adopt and pass the Harmonised Bill on Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill 2008 presented to the Senate through its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters in July 2008;
- Appropriate funds to facilitate the establishment and equipping of units in all divisional posts of the Nigeria Police Force to enhance the investigation and prosecution of cases of violence against women, thereby enhancing accountability and access to justice for women who suffer abuses in private and public spaces;
- Commit a full scale investigation to bring the killers of Grace Ushang to justice.

The last is crucial, because after the initial outcry, the incidences fade from the public’s memory and justice is either intolerably slow in coming or permanently deferred. Last year’s attack of Uzoma Okere by a naval rating is a perfect case in point. Thankfully though, the court case is still in process, despite delay tactics from the defendants’ lawyers.

It’s important that each of us thinks about how we can help eliminate violence against women. For a start, supporting bills and other legal instruments that seek to provide additional protection to women is a good start. We can participate in events and gatherings like the vigil and march in honour of Grace Ushang and mobilize others to do the same, as our physical presence – especially in large numbers – shows solidarity and makes a greater impact than we imagine. We can individually challenge thinking and cultural mores that permit violence against women through discussion and action.

It’s not always easy, especially within cultural contexts that view these issues of violence benignly or even actively encourage them. We might not all think ourselves capable of ‘putting ourselves out there’ but perhaps you could find small but important actions to take. The struggle to eliminate gender violence requires all our efforts and should not be left to those considered the ‘heavyweights’ of women’s rights. This is a continuous struggle and should not be consigned merely to these 16 days of each year.

Peace Vigil for Late Grace Ushang

The horrendous rape and murder of youth corper Grace Ushang in September shocked and angered the nation. Ms. Ushang was abducted and raped to death by a gang of men in Maiduguri, Borno allegedly because they were offended by her wearing trousers (which happens to be the uniform of youth corpers).

This is another example of violence against women that is so pervasive in our society. Rather than condemning and addressing the violence, the blame is often shifted to the victims. In this case, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps urged youth corpers to 'take their personal security seriously.'

In other cases, the victims are accused of dressing in a provocative way that would only naturally attract unwanted male attention. In 2008 the chairperson of the Nigerian Senate's Committee on Women, Senator Ufot Ekaette, introduced a bill in the Senate to prohibit 'indecent dressing'. The bill covers any female above 14 years wearing a dress that exposes 'her breast, lap, stomach and waist ... and any part of her body from two inches below her shoulders downwards to the knee.' The bill would invite the both the police and citizens to pounce on women perceived to be indecently dressed. In a nation where unfair on-the-spot justice is routinely meted out, the opportunities for abuse of this bill are too horrific to imagine.

In honour of the late Grace Ushang, the Nigerian Feminist Forum is organising a march and vigil tomorrow (Dec 4).

When: Friday, 4th December, 2009 (2PM)
Where: Agindingbi Senior Grammar, Agindingbi off Lateef Jakande Road, Ikeja, Lagos

Learn more and the Grace Ushang Foundation and read the invitation letter to the vigil below:

*********************************

Dear All,

In the spirit of solidarity and support for the family of late Grace Ushang -(the Youth Corper raped and killed while properly dressed in her NYSC uniform in Maiduguri, Borno State) the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) is organising a peace vigil and a march to speak up and speak out against violence against women and the indecent dressing bill.

I urge you all to attend this event to show your support for the cause and your belief in the fact that NO INDIVIDUAL HAS THE EXCUSE TO RAPE A WOMAN ON ACCOUNT OF HER DRESSING.

Venue: Agindingbi Senior Grammar, Agindingbi off Lateef Jakande Road, Ikeja Lagos

Time: 2pm prompt
Date: Friday, 4th December, 2009

Dress Code: Black
Also come along with a candle stick
Bring family, friends and loved ones

I thank you all and look forward to marching with my sisters and brothers in solidarity.

Sincerely,
Amy Oyekunle
Executive Director, KIND

Project Alert

Last week on Today on STV, Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, the Executive Director of Project Alert on Violence Against Women appeared on the show to talk about Project Alert’s 10th year anniversary. With her were the organisation’s ambassadors: actresses Kate Henshaw-Nuttal; Stella Damasus-Nzeribe, and Susan Harvey.

This might be many people’s first time hearing about the organisation, although they have been in existence for a decade now. In that time, they have provided shelter for 580 women and children in Sophia’s Place, a shelter for women who are victims of gender-based violence. Project Alert also provides counselling, legal aid and skill acquisition.

In recounting some of the highlights in the fight against VAW (violence against women), Ms. Effah-Chukwuma talked about Lagos State’s Domestic Violence Law of 2007, which among other things allows people to take a protection order against VAW victims other than themselves, e.g. neighbours, relatives, friends.

Project Alert has also been working on training members of the police to respond in more effective and empathetic ways to reports of violence.

During the course of the conversation, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal opined that women have low self-esteem, which is largely why they are victims of violence. Well, I feel that while many women have been raised to believe that we live in a man’s world, this is an extremely sweeping generalization of all women.

Stella Damasus-Nzeribe believed that this violence is encouraged because boys are treated better than girls, with girls having to defer to the boys and men in their lives (even if this boy is their younger brother).

Susan Harvey spoke about the need to create awareness and raise funds for Sophia’s Place. Indeed, their 10th year anniversary celebrations will include a fund-raising event to raise money to buy an apartment in a quiet, secluded place.

More information or to find out how you can help, visit the Project Alert website (www.projectalertnig.org) or contact Silverbird TV.

Day 1 - 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women

Day 1 of the 16 days of activism against VAW. Take Back the Tech is running their annual campaign, with activities planned for each day. They are fairly easy to do. Please join in.

Visit TBTT for more information on today's action.

Let me use this opportunity to showcase a project I learnt about at last week's AWID Forum: the Cyber-Quilting Experiment.

What is cyber-quilting? It's a creative way to use internet-based technologies to network social justice organisations, to enable them share resources and work together. This is something that is taking place quite frequently by many groups and individuals already, but I liked the term 'cyber-quilting.' It really seemed to symbolise the symbiotic process of learning, teaching and cooperation that takes place online. Let's see how we can use our email, blogs, websites and social networking site accounts to speak out or do something about violence against women.

technorati tags:
ds_newline="directory">takebackthetech