Campaign to Stop Gender Based Violence and Discrimination.

1.     Brief Summary:

Our proposed project titled, Campaign to Stop Gender Based Violence and discrimination in Essien Udim L.G.A. This has been a shameful ‘conspiracy of silence one in three Akw-Ibom women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime untimately such violence, and the costs associated with it hinder women’s and girls’ full participation in social, economic and educational activities, handicapping their contribution to the development of their communities and contributing to a cycle of gender inequality and poverty. A comprehensive approach involving strategies aimed at communications for social change, Advocacy for policy reform and capacity-building to strengthen referral system and delivery of services to survivors of violence have been developed to tackling these challenges. The project objective is to promote change in social norms attitudes and behavior to reduce gender based violence and to pursue for the enactment and enforcement of a legislation prohibiting all form of violence against women and girls in Akwa-Ibom State. Our organization has carried our similar project with other partners. For this proposed project, the sum of N2,910,000 has been estimated for the total project costs.

2.     background:

In Essien Udim Akwa-Ibom State, it’s a common sight to see cases of Abuse of women, women are sent out of the homes, Akwa-Ibom State has the highest number of such cases in Nigeria and this has led to abuses of women and girls sexually and otherwise, most of them have nowhere to run to nor any place to find refuge. One in three Akwa-Ibom Women/Girls within the ages of 15-24 has been the victims of domestic violence 50% of women have been subject to abuse from husbands and most believe that the Law will not protect them and endure this abuse: A shocking and staggeing 97.2% are not willing to report to police, continually shocking are married women’s acceptance of wife-beating, in Akwa-Ibomup to 70% of women find the practice acceptable.

Gender-based violence is a prevalent and deeply rooted problem in Akwa-Ibom especially in  Essien Udim that has recently witnessed an entrenched form of Gender Based Violence. These are Baby Factories:- using women and girls to produce babies for commercial purpose and accusation of women and girls being witchcraft. This project is designed to respond to these challenges through a comprehensive approach involving strategies aimed at:

1)    Communication for social changes

2)    Advocacy for policy reform

3)    Capacity building to strengthen referral system and delivery of services to survivors of violence.

This brief is focused primarily on the project role in facilitating an advocacy and mobilization effort that will contribute to the enactment of a legislation to prohibit all forms of violence against women and girls and making Gender Equality Education primary Prevention Technique mandatory at all levels of education in Akwa-Ibom State.

3.     Strategy/Project Objectives/Activities/Expected Result

The project is aimed to create a platform for action against Gender based violence, by convening and building partnerships among civil society and public sector stakeholders across the L.G.A. and State Exemplary of the Project’s intent to operate at scale.

Synegy Groups: This project will convene forums at Local Government and Community levels to bring together local authorities, services: providers and other stakeholders, to  coordinate the effort in providing comprehensive services and protect women community mobilizers: the project shall train volunteers as change agent at the community levels, these community mobilizers shall facilitate culturally sensitive dialogues and information sessions with the public around the causes and consequences of gender based violence, strategies to tackling the problem and act as resource person.

Project Objective:

1)    The enactment and enforcement of legislation prohibiting all forms or violence against women and girls and make gender based Equality Education mandatory in all level of Education in the state.

2)    Promote change in social norms, attitudes, and behavior to reduce gender based violence key activities for this project include:

(1) Mass media campaigns that involves letters to the media press conferences, call for actions, mobile theater and radio programs.

(2) Community level mobilization, dialogue and awareness raising activities to be facilitate by trained community mobilizers.

(3) Workshop, meetings and consultation between civil society, government officials traditional and religious leaders and the media to explore policy solution to Gender Based Violence.

(4) Mass action through peaceful marches and public pressure campaigns.

4.     PROJECT ORGANIZATION

FUTURE FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization, with its innovative approaches for development efforts for rural people and working with commitment to reduce violence against women and girls and developed underprivileged irrespective of gender. It was established June 2010 as a response to the instability following the all forms of abuse face by our women and girls in communities which caused the loss of women lives and leave many homeless. Vision: To promote a society in which everybody including the women and men have equal opportunities and work to their potential and be self reliant with justice, equity and pride.

Previous activities by our organization

 Campaigns for the cause and end violence against women of Ikot Akpaneka Communities; it was done through meeting with women and community Leaders.

Engaging men and women in struggle to end domestic and help Girls resist threat of sexual violence. The project will be coordinate within the existing FUTURE FOUNDATION infrastructure-hardware and software. As traditionally Campaign to Stop Gender Based Violence and Discrimination related programmes have been implemented by us, the proposed programme will be managed by the existing committee. We will invite consultants for the workshop and Training.

5.      MONITORING/EVALUATION

We shall develop evaluation form to access the participants understanding, planned action and usefulness of the workshop or Training and compare them with our project goal.

We shall be meeting once in 2 months to discuss and evaluate the impact of our project activities there we shall take the number of participants their contributions number of people reporting abuses and violence, we shall also note the changes in the bi-monthly meetings. The bi-monthly meeting is for evaluation purposes, to evaluate the impact of the project.

We shall also evaluate this project through the calls and the e-mails we receive, the number of prosecuted cases. The public shall also be access through an opinion poll by SMS to voice out their reaction about the project.

6.     BUDGET AND FINANCING

BUDGET                                               N

1	1 SPACE & UTILITIES SIX MONTHS	240,000
	Training Centre Rent @	140,000
	Utilities (Public address system)	100,000
2	SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT	200,000
	Computer & Accessories	200,000
3	communication & postage	70,000
	Telephone, E-mail, and Internet	70,000
4	TRAVEL & PER DIEM	150,000
	Local Domestic Travel within Abia State	150,000
5	CONTRACTUAL/CONSULTANT SERVICES	1,200,000
	Workshop consultants 2 for 6days	400,000
	Training consultants 3 for 12weeks	700,000
	Workshop Organizer (Materials)	100,000
6	OTHER DIRECT COSTS	1,050,000
	Tea-break and Lunch for workshop, meeting with communities leaders and Training	200,000
	Radio program for 14 weeks	250,000
	Mobile threater rent 1 week	180,000
	Banners, Bill boards poster and handbill	100,000
	T-Shirts	200,000
	T.V Program for 6 sessions	120,000
	Total Program Cost	2,910,000

Total Amount Requesting from Embassy of Switzerland in Nigeria = N2,250,000

7.     ASSESSMENT OF OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS.

There are no serious risks that can affect the success of the project. Opportunity: Breaking the silence, reduction in the level of abuse, access to treatment and care, knowing their rights, seek education and redress, learn to network, find reasons to refuse early marriage.