By Fatima Muraina

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Ondo State Agency  Against Gender Based  Violence (OSAA-GBV) has called for the creation of a GBV Trust Fund for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence and a gender-focused budgeting by the government.

It also seeks for  increased budgetary allocation to OSAA-GBV, for greater efficiency.

These  were contained in a communique issued at the end of the learning and assessment meeting which marked the closure of the Global Equality Project (GEP), signed by the state Executive Secretary of the  Agency, Mrs. Bolanle Afolabi and made available to the media.

The meeting which was  designed to deepen the implementation of the  state Violence Against Persons Prohibition  (VAPP) law, implemented by (OSAA-GBV) also recommended an increased and deliberate awareness creation among residents and schools in Ondo State, of the existence of the VAPP law, as well as the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy, through training of key stakeholders.

It sought an urgent actions by the Ondo State Government to employ more counselors in Schools and build their capacities, to safeguard children/minors and to ensure that schools and places where children encounter adults, become safe and welcoming and devoid of risks of abuse or violation.

Participants also advocated for a  strategic partnership between OSAA-GBV and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as part of the process for effective sensitisation and awareness campaign on VAPP law at the grassroots.

They agreed on training and retraining of critical stakeholders such as judicial officers, health practitioners and security agencies in handling of GBV cases, including the provisions contained in the VAPP law among other recommendations.