The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence commenced in 1991 and is being observed annually. In this period, organizations and people around the world call for an end to all forms of violence against women and girls. Oxfam in Nigeria also observed the 16 days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence (GBV) from 9-10 December, 2019. It began with an awareness walk around Abuja with all Oxfam Country Office staff and selected partners. The final event held the following day; it brought together key stakeholders including Dewdrop Foundation (represented by Ms Nneka Acholonu Egbuna, the Assistant Program Coordinator, Mrs. Osen Ogunbameru, Ms Blessing Nwabukwu and Mrs. Vivian Ugwu), to Bolton White Hotels in Abuja, to have engaging discussions on negative social and cultural norms in the society that normalize and reinforce violence against women and girls, with the aim of addressing and mitigating these issues.
Presenting her good will message on behalf of the ED of Dewdrop Foundation, Ms Acholonu Egbuna reminded the participants that the country is currently facing a threat to the closure of its civic space with the call for the passage of the Anti Social Media Bill, which though it had provisions to penalize promoters of hate speech, would also hinder the opportunities of using social media as a tool for reporting and exposing social ills such as SGBV. She called for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the best outcomes are achieved for the advancement of the country.
