NAN-HG-1
Awareness
By Talatu Maiwada
Abuja, Nov. 23, 2016 (NAN) Aids Health Care Foundation, an NGO, said on Wednesday it had concluded arrangement to embark on a three-day Awareness Campaign Tour/Silent Protest Against Sexual Violence beginning Nov. 25.
The event, which is expected to hold in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will end on Nov. 28.
A statement released by Ms Kemi Gbadamosi, Senior Manager, Public Relations and Communications, AHF, in Abuja on Wednesday, described the campaign, with the theme: `The Girls ACT’, as a strategy aimed at preventing new HIV infections among young women and girls.
“Statistics released by the UN reveal that nearly 300,000 new infections occur annually among young women and girls of 15 to 24 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Also 1 in 3 women and girls have suffered some form of sexual or gender-based violence,’’ she said.
According to the senior manager, the tour will target young women and girls with HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
She stated that the tour will offer services on personal hygiene, menstrual hygiene, psycho-social and medical test services.
“The idea behind the mobile caravan campaign is to take services to young women and girls, who are mostly out of school and those, who will not visit a health facility.
“Our goal is to reverse the trend of high new HIV infections among girls of 15 to 24 years of age by empowering them with information.
“Such information will enable them to make informed choices and decisions with respect to their health and overall well-being,’’ she said.
She explained that the Silent Protest will be a peaceful solidarity march against sexual violence aimed at raising awareness on Post Exposure Prophylaxis for victims of rape in order to reduce HIV infections.
Gbadamosi said that the silent protest would serve as a call for stiffer penalties for perpetrators of rape and for the full implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act.
She added: “It is a symbolic show of solidarity for those, who have suffered sexual and gender-based violence as it has continued to thrive and put a lot of people at risk.
“Daily, we are inundated with reports of sexual assaults on both the young and old women.
“We, however, believe that putting the discourse on the front burner will empower victims and send a strong message to perpetrators.’’
She said the NGO would embark on the tour and silent protest in partnership with UNAIDS, the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), among other organisations. (NAN)
TIM/OSA/YEE
Edited by Shittu Obassa/Emmanuel Yashim
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