WARIF trains new traditional birth attendants

In a continued fight to put an end to Gender Based Violence, the Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) held a second training session for the traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in Lagos.

The Gatekeepers Project was launched last month at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Ikeja with the aim of curbing and eventually eliminating this societal menace of Gender based violence.

Amongst the materials given to the TBAs were, detailed handbooks containing extensive information on how to manage incidents or the signs to look out for in a woman they suspect is being abused. Lastly and most importantly were the logbooks, which aid in documenting incidents of GBV they come across, and on a weekly basis this information is collected by WARIF.

Some of the council areas present in the training include, Alimosho, Ikorodu, Mushin, etc. Through sensitization workshops, e-learning forums and monthly meetings WARIF in collaboration with the ACT Foundation are working towards reducing gender based violence by a minimum of 30 per cent and also increasing the reporting rate from an alarming 0 per cent to 95 per cent. These training sessions focus on recognising, managing and collecting data on incidences of sexual assault, rape and other forms of GBV in peri-rural areas.

The Gatekeepers Project, by WARIF and the ACT foundation, was launched with approval of the Lagos State Traditional Medicine Board. It’s main aim of empower and equip the TBA’s with the necessary skill set required in providing basic first responder assistance and psycho-social counseling for the GBV survivors who they may come across.