By Kamilu Lawal, Katsina
The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has organised a three-day sensitisation programme on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) aimed at promoting safer communities and enhancing social safeguards in areas benefiting from road infrastructure projects across Katsina State.
The sensitisation exercise, facilitated by Better Me Consulting Firm, brought together community leaders, religious leaders, contractors, construction workers, women, youths, and residents of project host communities to deepen awareness on Gender-Based Violence and strengthen community-based protection mechanisms.
Speaking during a roundtable engagement in Kauyen Maina along the Kankia–Gidan Kusa–Kauyen Maina road corridor, the Lead Consultant on Gender-Based Violence for Intermediary Service Providers under RAAMP, Hajiya Masturah Aminu Baba, said the initiative was designed to ensure that infrastructure development translates into improved social wellbeing for residents.
She stressed the importance of adhering to the project’s code of conduct and creating an environment that protects vulnerable groups from abuse and exploitation.
According to her, issues such as drug abuse, rape, sexual harassment, molestation, and child labour pose significant threats to community development and must be collectively addressed by all stakeholders.
Hajiya Masturah urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, particularly young girls engaged in petty trading around construction sites, to reduce their exposure to potential risks.
She also encouraged community members to report cases of harassment, intimidation, threats, and other forms of abuse through RAAMP Katsina’s established toll-free reporting channels.
At a similar engagement along the Charanchi–Kuki-Tiki–Safana road corridor, the consultant called for mutual respect among community members and construction workers, emphasizing that development projects should be implemented in a manner that upholds human dignity and the rule of law.
She cautioned against any attempt to exploit ongoing road construction activities as an avenue to take advantage of children or other vulnerable persons, noting that sustainable development requires the protection of fundamental rights and community values.
Other speakers, including Barrister Hafsat Zeenat Buhari, Environmental Safeguard Officer of RAAMP Katsina, Sanusi Bara’u, Hajiya Fatima Zahra Yusuf, and other project officials, highlighted the role of public awareness, community participation, and responsible conduct in preventing Gender-Based Violence.
The programme forms part of RAAMP’s social safeguard framework aimed at ensuring that infrastructure investments not only improve rural connectivity and agricultural marketing but also contribute to safer, more inclusive, and resilient communities across Katsina State.
Participants were encouraged to serve as advocates for positive social change by promoting respect, protecting vulnerable groups, and supporting efforts to eliminate all forms of Gender-Based Violence within their communities.
