OAU Clinic for Human Rights Holds Campaign Against Gender-Based Violence, Urges Victim to Speak Up

 

By Adekunle Famuyiwa

In a bid to protect the right of vulnerable victims, the Clinic for Human Rights, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has called for an end to Gender-Based Violence in Ile-Ife and its environs. The organization's commitment is prominently highlighted through its initiation of a 16-day activism campaign, upholding the International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2023.

The campaign began through an awareness reach and research aggregate on Gender-Based Violence in some locations on the Obafemi Awolowo University campus. The poll was intended to ascertain the level of students’ awareness about Gender-Based Violence, while offering them insight on how to handle related cases.

The grand finale of the Clinic’s campaign culminated in grassroots advocacy against Gender-Based Violence at Aba-Gboro community, an adjoining settlement of Obafemi Awolowo University. The goal of the community engagement was to orientate the locals on the diverse forms that Gender-Based Violence demonstrates itself in a demography like theirs, and more importantly, how to seek redress for such human rights violations against women and girls.

Topical issues during the interaction between the Clinic’s delegation and the locals include sex education for children at an early age, stigmatization of victims of sexual violence, the need for parent-child intimacy which aids speaking up, and punishment for perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence. Some of the indigenous women were also asked pertinent questions which were adequately thrashed out. The Clinic’s contact lines were subsequently conveyed to the locals, to ensure the proper handling of any future cases of Gender-Based Violence.

While speaking with ObserversMag correspondent, the Clinic´s Lead Director, Joshua Oyebode, spoke about the success of the event and urged victims to speak up. He said, “My feeling about the event upon its conclusion was one of accomplished impartation. The goals of the outreach were three; to awaken the consciousness of the locals about Gender-Based Violence, intimate them with mitigative measures, and offer free support in handling cases of GBV or other forms of violations to their rights in the future. We comprehensively achieved all three.

My advice and emphasis would be for people to speak up whenever they are victims of any forms of Gender-Based Violence. There are cases of GBV all around us, but sadly, victims are usually suppressed and barely speak up. Speaking up gives a chance for the law to take its course in due punishment of offenders. This serves a good deterrence effect; which is quite impossible if perpetrators keep walking free.”