GECORN, Gender-Based Advocacy Group Visits KSMC, Seeks Collaboration

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA–  A gender based Advocacy group under the aegis of

Gender and Constitution Reforms Network (GECORN) has on thursday visited the Kaduna Media corporation,(KSMC) to further advance its advocacy against gender based violence against Women and Children in Nigeria.

The visit also seeks collaboration with the media organization in its strategic role of information, education and enlightenment through News and Programming to advance the NGO’s advocacy.

The MD/CEO, KSMC, represented by Manager programs, Mrs Esther Kozah, while appreciating the visit commended their advocacy efforts and assured them of their support in enhancing their advocacy, she however wondered the upsurge in gender based cases ” we talk about it , we advocate, we do all of  these things, but why  is it in the increase,

” what do we need to do differently , what do we need to look at differently in this campaign because it’s been a long time campaign” she added

She lamented  how she is taken aback as a parent whenever cases of  gender based abuses are reported in the media ” one feels worried about the future of our children, because you can’t isolate them from the trend, so I tell you, we are in this together

” we do a lot of programmes, because our job is to sensitize, to educate, to inform and entertain, so as part of the education and information we do, we take up those issues, one after the other as the come or as we deemed necessary given the circumstances and they are highlighted, we have Women programs and we are coming with more Women’s programs

” Ours too is to advocate, because if you keep hearing something, one day, you will say “kai’ let me try and change this thing, it’s like preaching, it’s like a conviction, you keep talking about it until it makes sense to those that are doing it to see the need to stop, so we are in it together” she reiterated

While assuring them of the station’s sustained commitment and collaboration through News reportage and programming saying ” it will be good to let us know when you have some activities coming up so that we can help take it further, we on our own part will be coming to you from time to time for expert’s perspective in our programs, so I thank you for coming ” she added

Earlier, the leader of delegation and the Project Officer, Gender Awareness Trust, Iveren Igbudu, said the advocacy visit was under the platform Gender and Constitution Reforms Network (GECORN),adding that Womanifesto is a project of GECORN

According to her, the essence of the gender based advocacy visit to the media organization is due to the fact that ” it is something that concerns everyone and  something we know that even the Media is handling on a daily basis,”

Adding ” that is why we have decided to come as a group and because we realized that you are doing alot of work in this area and we believe that collectively we can do more

” You have a very big platform and one of the things we request from you today is that you amplify the voice that is already been heard; we need it amplified, if we speak out louder, we can get the help and responses that we need, and we want to speak out in the right ways at the times and through the right channels ” she stressed

According to her, that informed their visit to the Emir of Zazzau and others ” we are looking for key influencers, people when they tell the stories people know and when their stories are heard the people know is serious and the pay attention to  it

She further hinted on the reported cases of a 70 years old woman and  a 2 years girl raped and wondering the rationale  adding that” We are not just looking at Women; Boys have always been molested but it has been unreported, but now the cases have also increased, hence the need for all hands to be on deck”

She further maintained the need to have people they can  ” seek help from, because we need action to be taken on these cases to be prosecuted, we need that, in our homes, that we are safe and we  have a channel for reporting; so those are the cases and issues we are bringing forward”  she reiterated