EU, UNDP fight against gender-based violence with ‘Deafening Silence’

• Published On: 08 June 2024 at 19:29

The European Union, in conjunction with the United Nations Development Programme, recently screened a film titled, 'Deafening Silence' in Lagos.

The film, which stars Kate Henshaw, Bimbo Akintola, Chidi Mokeme, Daniel Etim-Effiong, and Femi Jacobs, is reported to be part of the organisations' Spotlight Initiative interventions on sexual and gender-based violence. It emphasizes several facets of sexual-gender violence, such as sexual harassment, child abuse, and the significance of teaching boys to respect women.

Speaking at the premiere, which took place at the EbonyLife Place on Victoria Island, EU Ambassadors to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Samuela Isopi, represented by Ruben Aguilera, Head of the Governance, Gender, Human Rights, and Migration Section at the EU, stated that the movie was part of a campaign "to raise awareness and to ensure that we reach out to every area of Nigeria in order to break the silence and spark a discussion about the consequences of gender-based violence.

He continued, "This is part of a larger initiative for which we have invested N1 billion." We want to increase awareness so that people understand that gender-based violence exists in society and that we all have a role to play in making it stop. Aside from the film, we are also striving to ensure that survivors of gender-based violence have access to basic healthcare and other assistance."

When asked about the most startling examples of gender-based violence he has encountered while working on the project, Isopi stated, "Some of the most stunning cases of violence are that Pregnant women are subjected to the harshest forms of maltreatment, which can result in the loss of their newborns.

"The rape of children by family members is also disheartening."

The Spotlight Initiative is the EU and UN's greatest investment vehicle for combating sexual and gender-based violence. The programme, which began in 2019 and will end in 2023, intends to maintain momentum through new initiatives.