Baseline surveys conducted by RHHF on awareness and reporting of Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in IDP Camps and high risk host communities in the North Eastern part of Nigeria shows: knowledge gaps in the reporting of cases and inability of women to play active roles in the implementation of GBV project. To bridge this gap, RHHF in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) conducted Stakeholders Launch meeting targeting Women Interest groups such as landladies, market women, women leaders, local associations’ leaders and other stakeholders on GBV prevention and response in Adamawa and Gombe State in March 2017. The aim of the meeting was to encourage the involvement and participation of women stakeholders in GBV awareness creation and the utilization of post GBV services by survivors.
The Launch meeting was also an avenue to inform the stakeholders on the danger of no-reporting of GBV cases, enhance women’s participation and address the physical and emotional consequences associated with GBV as well as discuss the various referral and response mechanisms for GVB survivors. At the end of the meeting, the participants proposed the need for confidentiality and privacy during reporting and collation of GBV cases, because discrimination and stigmatization are key factors that hinder reporting of cases.