BRIDGING THE GAP: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE, DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH IN BENUE STATE
Not all wounds are visible.
Some wounds leave visible marks, a bruise, a fracture, or a physical injury. Others remain hidden, carried silently through homes, workplaces, schools, and communities, sometimes for years.
Yet every woman and girl deserves to be seen, heard, protected, and supported.
For many women and girls who experience gender-based violence (GBV), some of the most enduring consequences may not be immediately visible. Fear, anxiety, depression, trauma, loss of confidence, social isolation, and a diminished sense of safety can become part of everyday life.
For women and girls living with psychosocial disabilities, these challenges can be compounded by stigma, discrimination, poverty, and barriers to essential health, protection, and support services.
Bridging the Gaps in Women’s Health and Well-being
Today in Benue State, the Bridging the Gaps in Women’s Health and Well-being Project is taking action to advance an inclusive approach to women’s health and well-being, one that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the commitment to leave no one behind.
With funding from Hauwa Ojeifo, mental health advocate and founder of She Writes Women, and support from CBM Global Disability Inclusion, with Reconnect Health Development Initiative (RHDI) and the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEF) as implementing partnerships, the project is working to strengthen systems and services that respond to the interconnected challenges of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), mental health, disability, and economic vulnerability.
Through this initiative, RHDI is working to:
- Strengthen and integrate GBV and mental health services
- Promote disability-inclusive and survivor-centred care
- Improve access to psychosocial support and referral pathways
- Build the capacity of service providers and community stakeholders
- Empower women and girls to rebuild their lives with dignity and resilience
- Strengthen the participation and leadership of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)
- Promote economic resilience and opportunities for vulnerable women and girls
A Commitment to Collective Action
This project is more than a programme, it is a commitment to collective action. It brings together government institutions, healthcare providers, justice and security actors, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, communities, and women with lived experience. Because meaningful change requires all of us.
Together, we can challenge harmful norms, strengthen systems, expand access to quality support, promote inclusion and economic resilience, and build communities where violence is not tolerated, survivors are treated with dignity, and no woman or girl is left behind.
Together, we can bridge the gaps.
Together, we can break the cycle.
Together, we can build a healthier, safer, and more inclusive Benue State.
