The Bassa Women Mediators, in collaboration with the Women for Positive Peacebuilding Initiative (WOPPI), have intensified grassroots advocacy for peace, safety and protection through sensitisation engagements in schools and communities across Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The outreach, organised as part of their ongoing peace advocacy efforts, focused on raising awareness among students, residents and community leaders on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), rape, molestation, child trafficking, substance abuse and the dangers of illicit alcoholic drinks.
The mediators emphasised the need for increased awareness, community vigilance and collective responsibility in preventing violence, protecting vulnerable persons and promoting safer environments for children, women and other members of society.
At one of the schools visited, the Principal commended the Women Mediators and WOPPI for the initiative, describing the sensitisation as timely and addressing an issue he had long intended to bring to the attention of students.
“You’ve helped me so much because this has been a thing I intended sensitising the students about,” the Principal said.
He acknowledged the importance of such engagements in educational institutions, noting the need to equip students with relevant knowledge to identify harmful practices, understand their rights and make informed decisions about their safety and well-being.
The outreach also attracted positive reactions from women in the communities visited, who appreciated the mediators for taking the campaign directly to their doorsteps and creating opportunities for discussions on issues affecting their lives and families.
Similarly, a Village Head in one of the communities acknowledged the intervention, highlighting the importance of traditional institutions and community participation in addressing threats to the safety and well-being of residents.
The responses from the school authorities, women and community leadership underscore the importance of grassroots engagement in tackling social vices and strengthening community-based mechanisms for violence prevention.
Through the Women Mediators Initiative, WOPPI continues to promote inclusive peacebuilding, strengthen community awareness and encourage collective action towards preventing violence, protecting vulnerable groups and fostering safer communities.
The initiative underscores the need to take peace advocacy beyond public campaigns to the classrooms and communities where awareness, early intervention and behavioural change can make a lasting difference.
