CLEEN FOUNDATION, UN WOMEN, NAPTIP, PRESENT GENDER AUDIT REPORT FOR THE FCT, ABUJA.
Oru Leonard
The Board, Management and Staff of CLEEN Foundation, UN Women, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), and other Strategic Partners met on Friday, October 22, 2021 for public dissemination of the gender audit — assessment of protection services, shelters, and safehomes for survivors of Human Trafficking in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in Nigeria.
In her welcome remarks the Acting Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Mrs Ruth Olofin noted that the The Gender Audit was conceptualized with the aim of supporting improved gender equity, and equality in services rendered in protection of homes for survivors of trafficking in persons and strengthen the gender-responsiveness of interventions by relevant law enforcement agencies in combating human trafficking and forced migration in the Federal Capital Territory in particular and Nigeria in general.
She recalled that CLEEN Foundation in partnership with UNWomen and the Government of Italy conceived a project in April 2020 focused on “Preventing Forced Migration and Trafficking of Women and Girls in Nigeria: Build Resilience, Promote Sustainable Development”. It is essentially aimed at enabling a gender-sensitive policy environment that addresses forced migration and human trafficking through increased gender-sensitive information and awareness-raising in source migration trafficking sites, working closely with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). The project also seeks to support and strengthen the genderresponsiveness of interventions by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and other relevant government agencies. As part of the project intervention, CLEEN Foundation audited Safe Homes and Shelters for survivors of forced migration and trafficking in Edo and Lagos States, the findings were quite revealing to key stakeholders especially NAPTIP who appealed to UNWomen to replicate the project activity in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The Gender Audit and Assessment of Protection Facilities offering services for Trafficked Victims and Forced Migration in the Federal Capital Territory were conducted from 26″ August, to 27″ September, 2021. During this period, critical state and nonstate service providers were interviewed using the minimum standard tool developed and validated by stakeholders at the methodology workshop.
She said the project supports the gender-responsiveness of interventions by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to facilitate the protection, prosecution and partnerships pertaining Human Trafficking and Forced Migration in Nigeria.
“This Gender Audit Report is the first of it’s kind; it contains key information on Safe Homes and Shelters for Victims of Trafficking in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The findings provided gaps with empirical evidence and provide stakeholders areas of opportunity for interventions in relation to gender-specific programming.
Collaborative interventions with various law enforcement agencies have been strengthened by the reason of the Gender Audit protectiion services within existing shelters, safe homes, and other services by frontline providers.
The audit formed the basis for the specialized training developed to promote a more proactive response and gender-sensitive service delivery for security, health, and justice sector agencies.
Ruth expressed the hope that findings from the assessment will contribute richly as a useful resource and enhance stakeholders/citizens’ perspectives of the trends and challenges faced in the provision of protection services to victims of trafficking in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as strengthen collaborative interventions with various law enforcement agencies.
“These findings is also aimed at providing support on policy actions and interventions by frontline service providers in creating a more gender sensitive environment within the context of protecting victims of trafficking and forced migration in Nigeria”, she stressed.
We thank the Government of Italy and the United Nations Women for supporting the implementation of the project and and their partners for their unflinching commitment in the intervention while wishing all a fruitful deliberation.
The event was moderated by Mrs Chigozirim Okoro, Assistant Program Manager, CLEEN Foundation who also unveild the Report, while the Lead Consultant, Mr. Micheal Adeniji made the presentation.
