Leaders of Student Union Governments, SUGs, across various higher institutions in Niger State have been urged to collaborate with their school authorities to tackle Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, in the state.

The call was made by Hafsat Kusherki, the Gender-Based Violence, GBV Desk Officer at the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, during a one-day training organised for selected SUG leaders by Global Promoters for Community Initiative, GPCI, in Minna.

She emphasised the need for SUG leaders to sensitise their fellow students to speak out and report any form of violence.

According to her, “The aim is to strengthen women and students’ voices, promote women’s rights, and end violence against women and girls in Niger State.”

The project coordinator of GPCI, Olasukanmi Kalejaiye, called on the National Assembly to pass the bill on sexual harassment into law, specifically, the bill to prevent, prohibit, and redress sexual harassment in tertiary education institutions.

He also urged the Niger State Government to pass the Gender Equal Opportunity Law and to establish a commission for people with disabilities.

Hajara Achibi, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, explained that the training was designed to raise awareness of the harmful effects of negative behaviours, stereotypes, and GBV on both survivors and the wider community, as well as the roles individuals and communities can play in prevention.

The student leaders, drawn from institutions including the Federal University of Technology, FUT Minna, and Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, IBBU, Lapai, among others, called for step-down training sessions in their respective campuses to enable students and survivors of SGBV to speak up and report to the appropriate authorities.