Kwiza Mbumbeh, Maiduguri
January 11, 2023.
The Learning Through the Skills Acquisition Initiative (LETSAI) is to partner the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on the use of innovative voiceless communication methods to report gender-based violence (GBV) in Borno state.
According to the Initiative, GBV comprises sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment of women, boys and girls.
LETSAI is supported by UNICEF and funded by the Government of Germany and the United Nations Central Emergency Fund.
Unveiling the voiceless communication method, yesterday (Wednesday), in Maiduguri, the Coordinator of LETSAI, Susan Tanwie disclosed: “We signed a partnership in March 2022 with UNICEF to increase access to comprehensive and gender-responsive services for children and survivors of GBV in Dikwa and Shani local Councils in Borno state.”
She said that they will access comprehensive multi-sectorial and life-saving GBV services aligned to inter-agency standing committee GBV guidelines and the United Nations Victim Assistance framework.
She lamented that survivors of GBV, particularly women, have found themselves where they cannot report abuse by talking, especially when the perpetrators are in the communities.
According to her, the innovative Voiceless Reporting Mechanism (IVRM) addresses GBV with three key sign languages.
“The sign language makes it easier for victims of GBV to report abuse and seek help,” she said.
Continued: “The test-run research on the voiceless messages conducted in Shani and Dikwa local Councils in the state; revealed 755 participants reported cases of GBV through the voiceless reporting method.”
She said: “The reported cases include intimate partner violence, rape, sexual harassment, denial of resources and physical abuse,” adding that the GBV cases were revealed between January 2020 and December last year.
On the voiceless messaging, she said: “We adopted three different signs comprising first, an okay response shown with the thumb up.
“This specific sign is used by the survivor to confirm the response of GBV.”
She added that the second sign is the pointing of an index finger sign by either the reporter or the staff to confirm if the perpetrator is close by to the reporter of violence.
“While the tapping sign of the index and the thumb, signifies danger and the faster the tapping, the more severe the situation of the reporter,” she declared.
She noted that this sign is only used by the survivor or reporter of gender-based violence.
Besides, she added that slow taps between the index and thumb fingers signify a threat but no danger to the victim.
She said cases of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment are usually reported for investigation using this method and/or other reporting methods including phone calls or emails.
“The continuous tapping signifies an emergency and the survivor will need to be rescued immediately,” she warned, adding that their lives may be in danger.
Susan, therefore, declared that to continue to fight GBV, the Initiative is to partner with the media, relevant government agencies, national and international partners, stakeholders and the general public.
