To commemorate the celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD), a one-day rally and road show was organized across the project communities. Trained women and other women from the communities participated en masse in the celebration.
In Amechi Awkunanaw community, the women commenced the rally from the Civic Centre to Otu Market and proceeded through the community before finally converging again at the Civic Centre. At the Civic Centre, HRH Igwe John Ngene and his cabinet received and addressed the women.
In Ikem community, the rally team set off from the Isiuzo LGA Secretariat alongside the Local Government Social Welfare Officer and moved to Neke Junction. From there, they proceeded to Orie Market where Ikem women were holding their prayer meeting. GHARF staff sensitized the women on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and women’s rights. Thereafter, the group proceeded to the palace of the Traditional Ruler of Ikem Uno, who offered prayers for the participants and encouraged them to continue the good work of disseminating GBV prevention messages within their communities. During the rallies across the communities, participants distributed various public campaign materials including placards, flyers, and posters carrying GBV prevention messages. The women also sang women’s anthems, danced, and used public address systems to disseminate messages emphasizing women’s rights, inheritance rights, and the need for greater inclusion of women in community and church leadership structures.
The activities were supported with the use of a branded van, village dancers, and public address systems, which added visibility and excitement to the events.
The celebration significantly increased community awareness on women’s rights, GBV prevention, and the presence of trained GBV task force teams within the communities. This was evident in the enthusiasm, jubilation, and positive reception demonstrated by community members, particularly women, throughout the event. The event was covered by Dream Fm.
