South Sudanese civil society organization Women for Justice and Equality (WOJE) has concluded a two-day training on gender-based violence (GBV) risk mitigation in Raja County, with participants recommending a joint safety audit to identify areas where women and girls may face heightened risks.
The training, which began on Thursday and ended on Saturday, brought together 15 community nutrition volunteers and focused on integrating GBV risk mitigation measures into nutrition programmes.
Participants received guidance on how to respond to disclosures of GBV incidents and make appropriate referrals while carrying out community-based activities.
Allen Zabib Samanya, WOJE’s GBV officer, said the trainees work closely with women and families through community nutrition programmes.
“Most of the participants targeted for this training are community nutrition volunteers working within the community. They conduct mother-to-mother sessions with women on breastfeeding, pregnancy and other maternal health issues,” Samanya said.
She thanked the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for supporting GBV prevention and response activities in Raja County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
During the training, participants took part in discussions and practical sessions aimed at strengthening reporting mechanisms and improving community responses to GBV cases.
Participant Bedil Abdulai said the training increased her understanding of the causes of GBV, available support services and referral pathways for survivors.
“I now know the appropriate steps to take and how to refer survivors for assistance if I encounter such cases in the community,” she said.
Another participant, Danson Dario Khamilo, said the sessions helped him better understand different forms of GBV and the importance of protecting vulnerable people from abuse and violence.
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