Hacey launches End Rape Culture

The Hacey Health Initiative, a development organisation focused on improving the health and productivity of the vulnerable has collaborated with the United States Consulate and Access Bank under the 16 days activism to launch the End Rape Culture campaign to address Gender-based Violence in the country.

The campaign which is scheduled to commence November 25, 2020, and run till December 10, 2020, will have a series of activities to campaign against Gender-based Violence (GBV).

“The harmful practice of Gender-based Violence has skyrocketed due to the lockdown and the loss of jobs in many homes. Nevertheless, we will not relent,” said Rhoda Robinson, executive director Hacey Health Initiative during the launch.

“Therefore, we are leveraging on the power of media, arts, and technology to reach more people and to influence a positive change in our society. We hope to inspire a consent culture through our work,” she said.

With several lined up activities, Hacey Health Initiative will feature discussions on various themes such as, ‘Accelerating the Impact of GBV, HIV interventions’ scheduled for December 1, 2020.

The event will be led by leagues of experts which will also feature the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, Women Radio, and other specialists on HIV/AIDS and GBV.

In tandem with these events, there will be a 16 Day of Activism Media Exhibition tagged ‘End Rape Culture’.

Similarly, an End Rape Culture photo, video, and art exhibition aimed at inspiring attendees to disengage from the culture of rape and promote and embrace consent.

The exhibition would run throughout the campaign.

While speaking at the forum on media action against sexual violence through a virtual presentation, Claire Pierangelo, US Consul General to Nigeria, disclosed the pleasure of the US Mission in Nigeria to support the newly launched ENDRAPE culture website www. endrapeculture.africa, a brainchild of Hacey Health Initiative which is also a beneficiary of the US government’s alumni Engagement Innovation Fund grant.

“Spotlighting this important policy priority is a cornerstone of the US commitment to advancing human rights, promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls,” she said.

“The 16 days of activism against Gender-based Violence began at the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rangers University. It began to highlight violence against women and girls as a global human rights violation,” she further said.

“The scale of Gender-based Violence is tremendous, the scope is vast and the consequences for individuals, families, communities, and countries are devastating,” she added.

She notes that Gender-based Violence significantly hinders the ability of all individuals to fully participate in and contribute to society and threaten the health of families and communities economically, politically, and socially.

The event which commenced on Wednesday, November 25, 2020, begins with the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Other relevant days such as World AIDS Day, December 1, 2020, and International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2020, would be commemorated In the course of the campaign.