EU/UN Spotlight Initiative Project – Second Chance Education (SCE), Vocational Skills Training for Women and Girls.

Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) calabar center is implementing the second phase of the EU/UN Spotlight Initiative Project in Cross River State. The Spotlight Initiative Project is focused on prevention efforts to address the root causes of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Harmful Practices against women and girls; and access to inclusive, timely, and quality services for victims and survivors. The Initiative is so named as it brings focused attention to these issue, moves it into the spotlight and places it at the centre of efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The first phase of the project was implemented between 2020/2021 with support from UNWOMEN in 3 LGAs in Cross River State, namely: Calabar Municipal, Calabar South and Obanliku and 2 LGAs, Abakaliki and Ezza South in Ebonyi state.

The second phase of the project is currently being implemented in Odukpani, Akamkpa and Yakurr LGAs in CRS and Onicha and Ohozara LGAs in Ebonyi state.

The project aims at:

• Providing literacy/second chance education, vocational skills and access to market to identified girls and women, especially survivors of intersecting forms of GBV including harmful traditional practices and persons with disability.

The key activities for the project includes;

• Literacy, numeracy and personal skills training classes (Second Chance Education).

• Training of Facilitators of the SCE sessions.

• Vocational skills training .

• Support for transition of some SCE beneficiaries to formal education.

• Mentoring and coaching for already established cooperatives in communities.

• Establishment of project support and advocacy committees in communities.