Honour Birth Foundation with the support of its community volunteers paid advocacy visits to the traditional ruler of Olaukwu community and the Regent of Oforola ancient kingdom to enlighten them on the traditional norms which the community women and girls have identified as harmful.
These apex leaders were encouraged to select and commission a ten (10) person committee to look into these traditional norms and make recommendations to the traditional rulers of the two communities; the palace cabinet members and the ten (10) village heads in Oforola and Olaukwu communities are also constituted.
The two traditional rulers saw reasons with this, and a meeting with the afore-mentioned persons was schedule at the palace of HRH Eze A.H. Ekeocha, Olamma I of Olaukwu community were the representatives as decided by the community stakeholders.
In the meeting, it was agreed that five persons from each of the two communities would be selected. The ten persons committee was formed with the mandate to reviewing those harmful traditional norms that promote VAWG and come up with a written policy document which is to be the byelaws of the two project communities on VAWG and SGBV cases.
The formation of the committee was held on 23rd April 2021. On 13th May 2021 the policy document on reviewed traditional norms was ready and an open declaration was made at the Oforola Women Civic Centre, Owerri West L.G.A with the traditional ruler of Olaukwu community, the representative of the Regent of Oforola ancient kingdom, the ten village heads, volunteers, stakeholders, and community women and girls and gatekeepers in attendance. A copy of the policy document has been handed over to HonourBirth Foundation, and other copies will be sent to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Imo State, Imo State Ministry of Gender Affairs and Vulnerable Groups, FIDA and the Gender Unit, Nigeria Police, Imo State command. Suffice to provide that Mrs Chima Nwosu Blessing, a senior investigation officer in NHRC was present at the public declaration.
Kindly download your copy below.
The SLOC-VAWG project is a 3-year project funded by Ford Foundation. It seeks to support Women’s Rights Organisations (WROs) in their work of advancing gender equality in Nigeria. Learn More
SLOC project has help us to speak out on issues that before now are considered as taboo.
Download the Bye-Laws of Olaukwu Autonomous Community below
