ILO provides support to abducted Chibok girls in Nigeria

Abuja (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization, Abuja Office provided training on HIV Peer Education and Basic Psychological Counselling funded by the government of Japan in support of the abducted Chibok Girls, Families and Communities in Nigeria.

“This activity today is among the many initiatives that the UN agencies have been implementing through the Integrated Support Package (ISP) in close collaboration with the communities, authorities in Chibok following the unfortunate abduction of over 200 young girls”, said the Director of ILO Area Office in Abuja, Nigeria, Mrs. Sina Chuma-Mkandawire.

The over 200 abducted Chibok secondary school girls and their families have benefited from the $855,000 Japanese emergency support grant aid that was channelled through the United Nations Children’s and Educational Fund (UNICEF), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and other organizations.

The training workshop was attended by representatives of the parents of the kidnapped Chibok girls, affected families within the Chibok community as well as representatives of the Ministry of Health in Borno State, the Chibok Girls Secondary School and the ILO social partners.

The aim of the project was to develop and strengthen participants’ knowledge, attitude and skills on HIV/AIDS Peer education, cause and consequences of gender based violence and provision of psychosocial support to their peers.

The training objectives were to to engage religious, Community leaders, & CSOs and undertake advocacy and promote campaign against HIV related stigma/discrimination and gender based violence; to establish a referral pathway for girls and women victims of violence and establish support group formation and promote peer-to–peer psychosocial support; and to strengthen the capacity of the participants to provide care and support to PLWHA as part of strategies of reducing stigma and discrimination.

Psychosocial counselling and HIV Peer Education

The ILO Director deeply regretted the abduction of the over 200 Chibok girls from school in April 2014. The current state of insecurity coupled with the underlying high levels of extreme poverty and social exclusion is facilitating sexual exploitation, child labour and forced labour. She added that the abduction of girls from their school and the associated fear and trauma impacts negatively for girls seeking to further education and make meaningful contributions to their societies. Such violence should not be a deterrent to our efforts to encourage girls and families from achieving their purposes in life, Chuma-Mkandawire stated.

She acknowledge the support of the Government of Japan for making the training possible through the ILO, saying “the two training activities on Psychosocial counselling and HIV Peer Education including Gender Based Violence have been made possible with the financial support of the Government of Japan through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”. According to her, through the training, the component on psychosocial counselling and HIV peer education including Gender Based Violence (GBV) for the abducted girls, their families and affected communities, the project seeks to work towards cushioning families and communities from the trauma suffered through the insurgencies and to support them rebuild their livelihoods. She stated that “a comprehensive early recovery effort should be a major component of the humanitarian effort”. According to the ILO Director, “through the Psychosocial Counselling and HIV peer education training, it is anticipated that more communities and families will be reached and awareness on support for victims and their families strengthened through the knowledge acquired through this training”.

Japan to assist Chibok Girls

Mr. Masaya Otsuka, the Deputy Head of mission, Embassy of Japan in Nigeria stated that the Government of Japan responded to the request by the United Nations and Nigeria by extending emergency grant in aid of Chibok to UNICEF, UNFPA and ILO. He believed that the enhancement of the capacities of community leaders, religious advocates, women and youth associations would help in providing support to victims of violence through psychological counselling, HIV & AIDs peer education on prevention, treatment, care and support including linkages to gender based violence.

In his goodwill message, the representative of Ministry of Health Borno State, Mr. Solomon Danjuma Gasi, specified that the state ministry of health has responded and will continue to respond to the needs of affected individuals of Chibok both in the area of health, psychosocial counselling and trauma management. Thanking the organizers of the training, Mr. Gasi promised that the knowledge gained at the training would improve their skills in providing support to the families of abducted Chibok girls.

A representative of Borno State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Hassan Mamma Msheliza, stated that Borno State Government was committed to working with interested organizations to support the affected populations, especially the abductees, when released, their families and communities.

The Principal of the Chibok Girls Secondary School, Hajiya Asabe Ali Kwambula and a mother of one of the abducted Chibok girls, Mrs Esther Athari also gave goodwill messages on behalf of the Chibok Community.

In May 2014, the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder called for safe return of girls kidnapped in Nigeria.