By Oswald Agwu, Ebonyi
A Sexual Assault and Gender Based Violence support Centre has been launched in Ebonyi State.
The centre known as Nduru GBV Centre was established by a Nongovernmental organisation, Partnership for Justice, with support from the Eropean Union-United Nations spotlight initiative and the Ebonyi State Ministry of Women affairs and social development
The centre housed within Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital complex, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, was commissioned recently by the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru.
The commissioning was part of activities marking the 2023 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence.
Speaking during the event, the Governor’s wife expressed joy over the development, noting that the Centre’s aim aligns with the aims and objectives of her office and her project, Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Foundation, BERWO.
She encouraged the hospital’s management and Nduru Centre to work together with other partners towards achieving the common goal of providing Succour to survivors of SGBV in the state.
The Programme Officer, Partnership for Justice, Alexis Adelu in a remark, explained that Nduru Centre was focused on providing free medical and psychosocial support to survivors of SGBV in the state.
“As the name implies, the Centre was set up to provide SGBV survivors with a safe space leaving them feeling peaceful, free from trauma and ready to be reintegrated into the society” Adelu noted.
She enjoined all partners present to mutually collaborate in eliminating all forms of violence against women, girls and other vulnerable persons in Ebonyi State.
The Ebonyi State GBV taskforce, the Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD) and other stakeholders in the fight against GBV in the State were represented at the event.