Groups trains 30 women on GBV, safety, leadership, others

To strengthen participants’ economic empowerment, understanding of gender-based violence and women’s rights, among others, Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), with support from Ford Foundation in collaboration with Community and Youth Development Initiatives (CYDI) and Justice Rights Initiatives (JRI) has organized a Two-Day Leadership and Livelihood Training for Women Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Conflict-Affected Communities in Imo and Benue States.

The program which held last week in Owerri, Imo State had participants that comprised 15 women from each state of Imo and Benue.

According to the facilitator of the program, Benjamin C. Mbakwem he said, “The workshop was aimed to strengthen participants’ economic empowerment, understanding of gender-based violence (GBV) and women’s rights, personal safety, leadership capacity, and participation in community decision-making”.

“The training adopted a participatory, survivor-centred approach involving presentations, group discussions, practical exercises, role-play, experience-sharing, and individual action planning”.

The objectives of the workshop included: “Strengthen participants’ understanding of GBV, women’s rights, protection mechanisms, and available support services. Build practical skills in livelihood selection, business planning, financial management, savings, and reinvestment.
Improve participants’ confidence, leadership skills, and ability to communicate effectively and participate in community decision-making.
Promote personal safety, peer support, cooperation, and collective approaches to addressing livelihood challenges. Support participants to develop realistic 90-day business and personal leadership action plans”.

The outcomes and achievements of the workshop were:
“Improved livelihood and business knowledge: Participants explored ways to identify viable business opportunities, attract and retain customers, maintain product quality, manage costs, calculate profits, save, and reinvest earnings. Strengthened financial management skills: Practical budgeting and business calculations helped participants appreciate the importance of separating business capital from household expenditure and planning for emergencies and family responsibilities.
Increased awareness of GBV and women’s rights”.

“Participants examined different forms of violence, factors that increase women’s vulnerability, the effects of stigma, and the importance of seeking appropriate assistance and supporting survivors without discrimination”.

The Program Manager of CIRDDOC, Paschal Anozie who spoke to newsmen noted that, “In the course of the training, group exercise and role plays which enhanced leadership and communication skills, negotiation, problem-solving, and constructive engagement in community decision-making were employed”.

“The workshop highlighted the potential of savings groups, cooperatives, peer support, and family and community collaboration in addressing economic and social barriers affecting women”.

During tbe workshop, the participants developed and reviewed 90-day business plans identifying livelihood priorities, practical steps, potential challenges, and the support required to achieve their goals.

However, to consolidate the workshop’s outcomes and support the practical application of learning, Anozie pointed out that they would monitor participants’ progress, document achievements, and identify barriers to implementing their livelihood plans.
Provide mentoring and technical support: Participants should receive periodic guidance on business management, financial planning, market access, and livelihood sustainability. Strengthen peer-support networks: Encourage participants to establish or strengthen savings groups, cooperatives, and other collaborative platforms for mutual support and business development within the 90-day action plans”.

Others will include, “Promote access to protection and referral services: Share reliable information on GBV response services and appropriate referral pathways in the participating communities.
Encourage women’s leadership: Support participants to engage in community meetings, local advocacy, and decision-making processes, while promoting safe and inclusive participation.
Document and assess results: Conduct follow-up assessments to measure progress against individual action plans, identify changes in participants’ knowledge and practices, and document emerging success stories and lessons learned”.

At the end, the workshop provided women from conflict-affected communities in Imo and Benue States with practical learning opportunities in livelihood development, financial management, GBV prevention, rights awareness, personal safety, and leadership.

According to one of the facilitators, Nnennaya Eneremadu she said “The participatory sessions enabled participants to reflect on their challenges, explore practical solutions, and identify steps towards improving their businesses and community engagement”.

CIRDDOC urged the Imo and Benue program officers, Felxfame Enisire and Alfred Gbagir respectively to follow up to ensure that “The development of individual 90-day action plans provided a foundation for translating the training into practice. Sustained mentoring, peer support, access to relevant services, and systematic follow-up will be essential to determine the extent to which the workshop contributed to improved livelihoods, greater confidence, and increased participation of women in community decision-making”.

“The workshop represented an important step in CIRDDOC and its partners’ efforts to strengthen the organizations, resilience, and economic empowerment of women affected by conflict and gender-based violence”.