W.TEC’s 16 Days of Activism Programme for 2021
Lagos – Nigeria
November 2021
In November 2021, W.TEC commenced her 2021 – 16 Days of Activism program for the Elimination of Violence against Women and girls. W.TEC supports the movement annually with a series of Safer Internet workshops for girls and women for the past 11 years in secondary schools and higher institutions. The workshops were scripted to reflect the 2021 theme of the campaign: “Orange the World: End violence against women now!” The 2021 series of workshops were held in 2 States across Nigeria for the first time to boost the reach of W.TEC’s campaign.
The 2021 campaign by W.TEC is a 3-leg series of programmes running from November to December:
- Staying Safe Online Workshop for Girls: Lagos State
W.TEC launched the 2021 campaign with a Safer Internet Workshop in collaboration with the Lagos Anglican Girls Grammar School for 200 final year students of their school on November 10th. The event is also part of the ongoing W.TEC Academy in Lagos State a technology co-curricular programme for secondary school girls in Lagos State done in collaboration with LASRIC. The workshop focused on combating online – gender based threats. Mr Adeyemi Odutola the Communications Officer at W.TEC facilitated the session, on staying safe online techniques for girls. The workshop rounded-off with an insightful session on self-defense techniques for girls, featuring videos and demonstrations led by Adeyemi Odutola, W.TEC’s Communications Officer he was supported by Miss Ayomide Omoniyi the Communications Assistant at W.TEC who led the demonstrations of self-defense techniques for the girls.
- Staying Safe Online Workshop for Girls: Kwara State
The second leg of the series of workshop held by W.TEC at in Ilorin – Kwara State was a Safer Internet Workshop for Girls held in collaboration with the Kwara State Ministry of Education. The workshop was held at Government Day Secondary School Tanke, Ilorin with 200 final year students of their school. The event is also part of the ongoing W.TEC Academy programme in Kwara State a technology co-curricular programme for secondary school girls in Kwara State done in collaboration with Oracle.
The workshop focused on combating online – gender based threats. Mrs Tolulope Ibiyeye, Co-ordinator W.TEC Academy – Kwara State facilitated the session, on staying safe online techniques for girls. The workshop rounded-off with an insightful session on self-defense techniques for girls, featuring videos and demonstrations led by Tolulope Ibiyeye, Co-ordinator W.TEC Academy – Kwara State she was supported by other tech instructors who are volunteers with W.TEC Academy programme in Kwara State.
The team plans to hold another similar workshop in the State at Offa on November 8th 2021.
- Supporting the Crime Fighters TV Programme
W.TEC partnered with the Crime Fighters TV show. A Television programme by the Nigerian Police is designed to spotlight issues of security, and policing in Nigeria. The programme is aired weekly on numerous TV stations across the country every week to an audience of over 5million people. W.TEC’s Communications Officer Adeyemi Odutola, was a guest presenter on the show, sharing his insights on how our youth can socialize safely on the internet especially with the case of online dating which has become popular with our youths. His presentation was aired on Part 3 of the Hook-Up Scam Episodes premiered on TVC on November 21st.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that kicks off annually on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. This year the campaign will be marked under the theme, “Orange the World: End violence against women now!”
In recent years, ther have been calling on people from all walks of life to learn more and take a stand against the pervasive violent culture against women that surrounds us. More so the voices of survivors and activists, through campaigns such as #MeToo, #TimesUp, #Niunamenos, #NotOneMore, #BalanceTonPorc, and others, have put the spotlight on the issue of violence against women and have reached a crescendo that cannot be silenced or ignored anymore.