By Tunde Omolehin
A nonprofit organization working on gender equality and peacebuilding, Gender Educator Initiative (GEI) has urged the Federal Government to provide trauma counselling center, free shelter, and legal aid for women affected by banditry attacks.
This was contained in a statement released and signed by its Founder and Executive Lead, Shafa’atu Suleiman while condemning a recent bandits attack in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The organization frowned at the recent attacks, saying the establishment of such a support facility would help vulnerable women and children in these conflict communities to live better lives.
“We are deeply saddened and outraged by the recent wave of violent attacks in Kaura Namoda LGA of Zamfara State, where armed bandits launched coordinated assaults on multiple villages, killing at least five people and abducting scores, the majority of whom are women.
“As an organization committed to protecting the rights and dignity of women and children, the Gender Educator Initiative strongly condemns these acts of terror that continue to target the most vulnerable in our society.
“To us every woman abducted is not just a statistic; she is a mother, a sister, a caregiver, and a voice that deserves to be heard, not silenced by violence.
“These attacks not only threaten physical safety but also destroy the psychological well-being, reproductive health, and economic livelihoods of women and their children. Many of the victims now face the double trauma of displacement and the loss of their families, homes, and sense of security.
It however urged the deployment of more security personnel to vulnerable communities in Zamfara and other states affected by banditry attacks.
It also called to prioritise education and economic empowerment programs for girls and women as a pathway to resilience and recovery.
The statement called on civil society and media to keep the spotlight on this crisis, noting that, “the safety and freedom of women and children should never be negotiable.”
“Together, we must break the cycle of violence and build systems that protect and uplift.” The statement reads in part.
