Nkechinyere Ewa-Okpara
The Coalition for the Promotion of Women’s Rights (CPWR), a civil society organization dedicated to advocating for the rights of women and girls, has successfully concluded its three-year project in Ebonyi State, specifically in the Ezza South council area.
The peer learning event and project close-out meeting took place on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, in Abakaliki.
With support from Saferworld and Peace Freedom Nigeria, CPWR focused on ten thematic areas throughout the duration of the project, aiming to build a society free from all forms of gender-based violence (GBV) and harmful practices. The initiative also sought to protect women’s rights and empower women and girls with essential information and skills from a gender perspective to promote social action.
Uroh Esther Nnachi, the project coordinator, shared with journalists the positive impact the project had on the Ezza South community, exceeding their expectations.
“I am happy because, before we engaged with the schools in Ezza South, there was no awareness of GBV sensitization or even a GBV club. Today, we have established GBV health clubs in schools, which has significantly changed the narrative. Most students, particularly the girls, used to remain silent about their experiences. Many were violated and suffered in silence.
“However, thanks to our sensitization efforts, they now know whom to approach for help. Several girls reached out to us confidentially, sometimes using another person’s picture to depict their situation.
“Through our counselling support, we have seen tremendous change. The girls are no longer suffering in silence; they know when and where to speak out.”
Uroh pointed out that, in the community, traditions often discourage women from discussing sexual and reproductive health rights with their spouses. This lack of communication has led to many broken homes. However, since CPWR’s involvement, the organization has empowered women with knowledge and skills, leading to improved communication within families.
“I must say that overall, our activities have yielded positive outcomes. We concluded last week, and the stories we’ve heard from individuals reflect the transformative impact of our work. Women are now communicating better with their spouses, helping to build stronger families.”
She also disclosed that community champions have been trained to ensure the program’s sustainability, and the police are collaborating with them to reinforce this effort.
“We have established what we call the Community Gender-Based Task Force team. These individuals are active in the community and recognized for their work on gender-based violence.
“In the event of a violent incident, community members can contact these task force members, who then reach out to us. We escalate the matter to the state level for appropriate intervention. The police are also involved in this process.
“We are committed to continuing our work, even in the absence of funding; we refuse to go back to sleep.” She said.
