HRE is the advocacy arm of the organization under which we carry out various project aimed at creating awareness and sensitizing the public and policy makers on the endemic and prevalent nature of violence against women and young girls and its negative consequences on the society.
Sexual Violence And Young Persons In Academic Institution (KASA) Scale-up Project
We commence a new phase under this project, as a result of the scale-up grant from African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF). The KASA Project commenced in 2022 – 2025, this multi-year project enabled us to conduct research on sexual violence and how it affects young persons, sensitize students and set KASA clubs in ten schools in Cross River and Akwa Ibom State, while providing survivors with services to help them through recovery and justice. The new scale-up grant from AWDF is being implemented in an additional 4 secondary/tertiary institutions Akwa Ibom and Cross River State and seeks to leverage on the successes achieved in the first phase, by:
- Building the Capacity of Key Stakeholders and School Administators in Sexual Violence Prevention and Response.
- Sensitization of 400 additional students in 2 special needs schools and tertiary institutions in both states.
- Support the setting up of KASA clubs.
- Media campaigns on Sexual Violence
An Integrated Response To Advancing Justice And Accountability For SGBV Survivors Project – 2023
An Integrated Response to Advancing Justice and Accountability for SGBV Survivors project of Project Alert is a two (2) year project aimed at addressing and combating the twin problems of injustice for SGBV survivors or family of victims; and lack of accountability by perpetrators. This project is founded by Open Society Africa (OSA). The project seeks to ensure that using existing legal and judicial instruments and frameworks, justice is obtained for survivors, while perpetrators are held accountable. The project entails:
- Community awareness programmes across LGAs in Lagos on SGBV prevention and referral pathways to accessing justice; and holding perpetrators accountable.
- Media advocacy (electronic and social media) on pathways to accessing justice.
- Capacity building for lawyers (mainly new wigs via the NBA) and magistrates for effective court and police station monitoring in order to achieve transparency and accountability in SGBV cases and to provide credible data for policy briefs.
- Provide legal aid, including alternative dispute resolution, ADR, and other services to SGBV survivors
- Development of data collection applications for safe data collection, data analysis and data scrubbing.
Capacity Building For Girls And Women CSOs/Rights Groups On Referral Services For Victims Of SGBV- (2019-2023)
The Spotlight Initiative Project is a European Union and United Nations joint global multi-year initiative focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls. The Project aims at ensuring that women and girls live a life free of violence and harmful traditional practices. Special focus is on domestic violence, sexual violence and harmful traditional practices like child marriages, widowhood practices and so on. Project Alert work particularly with UN Women in Nigeria to implement pillar 4 which is on SERVICES.
Project Alert implementing both phases in Sokoto, Lagos and Ebonyi States is focus on:
- Capacity building for Community Based Organizations, Civil Society organizations on response and referral services on SGBV Issues in 22 Local Government Areas across the implementation states.
- Setting up of surveillance teams
- Carrying out outreaches to sensitize the communities on prevalence, forms and availability of services providers within their domain.
- SGBV media awareness campaigns.
Sexual Violence And Young Persons In Academic Institution (KASA) Project
The KASA Project of African Women Development Fund -AWDF is a multi-year project that addresses the issues of sexual violence and young person in secondary and tertiary institution. The goals are to increase advocacy against sexual violence in institutions and improve support services available to young persons who have experienced sexual violence. The project is being implemented in a total of 10 secondary/tertiary institutions in Southern Nigeria, Akwa Ibom and Cross River State. The activities includes:
- Research on Sexual Violence as it affect young persons
- Advocacy visit to key stakeholders in education sector
- Sensitization of 1000 students in secondary and tertiary institutions in both states
- Sexual Violence Advocacy & Response Capacity Building Workshops.
- Setting up of sexual violence teams/clubs & activities.
- Media campaigns on Sexual Violence
Legislative Advocacy On GBV And Women With Disabilities
The Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Women with Disabilities project, initiated by Project Alert along with the #StoptheBlame campaign in the latter half of 2017, which was funded by Open Society Initiative for Africa (OSIWA). It aimed to address the issues of violence against women/girls with disabilities and the tendency to blame women/girls for acts of violence against them. The follow-up project on Gender-based Violence & Women With Disabilities in Cross River & Akwa Ibom was focused on legislative advocacy on GBV and women with disabilities. The objective was to ensure the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition and Disability Rights laws in both Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, as these laws already exist at the federal level and needed to be domesticated at the state level.
- Advocacy visits to key stakeholders
- Media engagements
- Review of the disability bills of both states
- Engaging and sensitizing legislators on GBV and women with disability
- Advocating for the passage of the VAPP bills by the state houses of assembly and governors of both states; and where they have been passed carrying out sensitization/capacity building.
The project duration was twelve (12) months.
Community Capacity Building for Male & Female Groups to Provide Support & Referral Services to SGBV Victims. (2021)
Community Capacity Building for male & female groups to support & provide referrals to SGBV Victims was founded by African Women Development Funds – AWDF. The project increased the capacity of community women’s groups to support the campaign to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG). The project trained and worked with community groups to create awareness on the prevalence, forms and impact of violence against women and girls; and support services available for survivors to access justice. It also provides support for rescue and referral services (legal, medical, shelter) for survivors of VAWG. The project was carried out in 3 selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Lagos. The activities include:
- Mapping of SGBV stakeholders in the 3 selected LGAs across the three senatorial zones that make up the state.
- Collation of SGBV Referral List LGA by LGA.
- Printing of SGBV Referral Lists Cards for 3 LGAs.
- Community Capacity Building- A total number of 463 men and women were trained in six sessions cutting across 3 LGAs namely, Ifako- Ijaiye, Apapa & Mushin LGAs in Lagos State.
- Community Surveillance teams set-up. The surveillance teams (6 men and 6 women) were set up at the end of the capacity building workshops. They have since held their inaugural meetings in the 3 LGAs (Apapa, Mushin, and Ifako Ijaiye) and have started reporting and following up on cases.
School Based Advocacy (SBA)
- Partnering with public and private schools to raise awareness among students on sexual violence
- Provide capacity building trainings to the Management of schools on how to prevent, recognize the signs of; and respond to child sexual abuse
- Train parents on how to prevent, recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.
- Provide information on available resources/referral services
GBV & WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES (GBV&WWD)
- Partnering with stakeholders to raise awareness among traditional & religious various form of violence against women with disabilities.
- Sensitize the women with disabilities on rights and understanding of GBV.
- Provide information on available resources/referral services
- Strengthen the capacity of main stream human right organization to also programme on disability issues.
- Gathering information on myth and fact of GBV & women with disabilities.
Lagos State Domestic Violence Law Advocacy Project
- Simplification and distribution of the Domestic violence Law.
- Sensitize women on domestic violence law and it’s provisions.
- Strengthen the capacity of responding agencies such as NPF and judiciary on implementation of provisions DV law.
- Provide information on available resource / referral service.
Faith Based Advocacy (FBA)
- Sensitization of religious leaders
- Capacity building for religious marriage counselors.
Media Advocacy (MA)
- Use of the social media in public awareness creation
- Partnering with the electronic media (radio and television) in organizing/participating in talk shows and programmes to raise awareness
- Running columns in some newspapers
Media Advocacy (MA)
- Use of the social media in public awareness creation
- Partnering with the electronic media (radio and television) in organizing/participating in talk shows and programmes to raise awareness
- Running columns in some newspapers
Male Involvement Project
- Sensitize men/boys on gender-based violence; its prevalence, forms and impact
- Work with professional and business men to be change agents in their communities
Social Advocacy (SA)
- Organize seminars and workshops for various target audience
- Give talks at various events on gender-based violence
