The Sarina project – a foundation with expertise in gender-based violence, has called for increased awareness among young students to avert the dangers of being a victim in $2bn global sex trafficking industry.
The awareness call was geared towards ensuring young students, stay alert and not become victims of gender-based violence.
The executive director of the project, Jerimiah Useni, said this on Friday, November 24, at the training of 400 secondary school students of Anglican Girls Grammar School, Apo in Abuja.
“We are making clarion calls for organisations to take this heinous crime seriously-National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), to intensify efforts against sex trafficking.
“We don’t want further spread on this, that’s why we are talking to young students,” he said.
He noted that the sector is a thriving multi-million dollar industry, stressing that young students need to learn about the risk exposure and how to avoid being a victim.
“We have come to this school today, to let these young ladies know that a crime like this exists, and know how to protect and preserve themselves.
Available statistics have shown that one in three women before the age of 22 have either experienced physical or sexual abuse from a close family member or a total stranger.
Useni, noted that from findings, the predominant age for child and sex trafficking is between 12-18 years.
Commenting on their experiences and lessons from the programme, Jennifer Aniebo a student of the Anglican Girls Grammar School said she has learnt how to be bold to avoid violence against the girl child.
“My mum is a human rights lawyer and also has told me to be open in communicating to her in the event of circumstances like this,” she said.
Another student, Kimhadija Farida, told our correspondent that she had learnt how to take precautions against gender-based violence with the lessons learnt from the programme.
While sharing her experience, she said,” I had an experience recently with someone talking to me on the road and asking for my number. I told my mother and she told me not to take a lonely route when going for an errand.”
“Anywhere I go, I must go with someone and grow on it. I also learnt that we must not be over-familiar with our uncles,” she said.
