The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) are pleased to announce their collaboration on a project to address Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) on campuses in West Africa. The project, which includes a survey, capacity building, and storytelling components, aims to promote awareness, prevention, and response to SGBV in the region.

The survey aims to collect data and insights on the prevalence and nature of SGBV experienced by female students and the effectiveness of existing policies and support systems in addressing these issues. The survey will be administered electronically to female students in universities across West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Gambia. It will cover various topics related to SGBV, including sexual harassment, assault, and intimate partner violence, as well as the impact of these experiences on students’ academic and personal lives.

The capacity-building component will equip campus journalists with sustainable approaches and skills to effectively report on S/GBV issues in their respective campuses and communities. Finally, the storytelling component will provide mini-grants to selected campus reporters to pursue investigative stories on S/GBV to help break the silence surrounding this issue.

The collaboration between CJID and NWTF is a significant step towards addressing the issue of SGBV on university campuses in West Africa. The survey results will provide valuable insights into the prevalence and nature of SGBV among female students and help inform policies and programs to prevent and address these issues.

“We are excited to partner with NWTF on this important project,” Osaruonamen Ibizugbe, the Project Officer of CJID’s Media in Gender Project, said. “SGBV is a pervasive issue that affects far too many women in our society, and we are committed to working towards a future where every woman can feel safe and secure on her university campus. 

“We believe the survey will provide much-needed data and insights on the experiences of female university students in West Africa and help inform our efforts to create safer and more inclusive campuses for all students”, she concluded. 

CJID and NWTF will work closely with local stakeholders, including universities, civil society organisations, and student organisations, to ensure the project’s outcomes are sustainable and impactful.

Signed:
Osaruonamen Ibizugbe
Project Officer, Media in Gender
Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development