The rural population in Nigeria is reported at 51.4%, accounting for slightly more than half of our total population; 50% are women. Recognizing this fact and the urgent need to address the issue of Gender Based Violence (GBV) on a grass root level in rural and peri-rural communities; WARIF in partnership with the ACT Foundation implemented the first cycle of the WARIF Gatekeeper’s Project.
The project was launched in 2017 with the successful training of 500 traditional birth attendants (TBA) across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos State who served as first responders to cases of rape and sexual violence. The second cycle the following year was an equal success with the inclusion of law enforcement agents as secondary gatekeepers; these officers were trained on the proper protocols to address cases of sexual violence as well as the importance of sensitivity when addressing the affected survivors.
This approach to tackling this issue has had a significant positive impact on the number of cases now being identified and treated in these once hard-to-reach communities and ensuring that no woman or girl is left behind in addressing this problem.
With the support of ACT Foundation and FORD Foundation, WARIF has successfully trained 86,472 Traditional Birth Attendants and 736 Law Enforcement Officers for the eight implemented cycles of the project.
