OBJECTIVES OF REVIEW MEETING AND EXPECTED RESULT
- Agencies providing for Gender Responsive Budgeting in Ebonyi State
- There are four major Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs)
- Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
- Ministry of Health
- Ebonyi State Primary Health Care Development Agency
- Office of the Special Assistant to Ebonyi State Governor on Women and Child Development. Ministry of Education can be added as an ally.
- Annual Budgetary provisions for GBV
- Awareness creation campaigns
- Shelters for victims
- Reproductive Health consumables and personnel
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Budget is one of the ways of protecting the rights of women and girls. There is a need for sensitization of these agencies and traditional rulers who are lawmakers to abolish and re-enact laws that are conducive for women and girls. We need to strategize on the best way to educate people on Gender-Based Violence. Empower women and girls to fend for themselves.
These Agencies should know it is their responsibility to protect the right of women and girls. They can set up committees with the ministry to ensure that victims of GBV are well taken care of and women/ girls rights are protected. They should collate enough data as evidence to present to the traditional rulers/ lawmakers to know the impact of GBV in their society and proffer possible solutions to it.
BRAINSTORMING
- There is a need to organize a press conference to end GBV
- There should be a state policy to include women in the King’s Cabinet or policy-making bodies
- There is a need for a public hearing with the legislators
- There should be a psychosocial centre where both genders will be properly counseled and psychologically managed
- We can use drama series to fight GBV, including jingles
- Clubs and inter-school debate can be used to campaign against GBV
- Sensitize parents on the need to train their children properly.
CHALLENGES
- No rehabilitation shelters to accommodate victims of GBV
- No participatory budgeting
- Creation of Economic scheme
- Strengthening of referrals
- Women inclusiveness in government
- Inclusion of GBV in the school curriculum
- Engaging school Parent Teachers Association
- Engaging NYSC on GBV sensitization programme
- Culture and religious involvement
CONCLUSION
Necessity demands we review the National Action Plan as there are so many errors in the existing one. There are five pillars in the National Action Plan (NAP):
- Prevention
- Protection
- Participation
- Promotion
- Prosecution