The Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission has launched a Metro Bus Sensitization Campaign aimed at combating Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), child trafficking, child abuse, and other forms of human rights violations across the state.
The awareness campaign commenced with the deployment of two Metro buses operating on the Zawan–Terminus and Zawan–Gada Biyu routes.
Officials and staff of the Commission boarded the buses to directly engage passengers, educate them on the dangers of gender-based violence, child trafficking, and child abuse, and encourage community participation in reporting and preventing such crimes.
The Acting Chairperson of the Commission, Olivia Dazyam, while speaking during the flag-off ceremony at the Metro Bus Stop, Zawan Roundabout, emphasized that families play a vital role in safeguarding children from abuse, exploitation, and trafficking.
She explained that proper upbringing and protection of children are critical step toward building a safer and more responsible society, noting that collective efforts are needed to address the growing concerns surrounding gender-based violence and violations of human rights.
“The initiative is designed to take awareness messages directly to the public by utilizing public transportation as a platform for education and advocacy, many victims of abuse suffer in silence due to lack of information, fear, and social stigma, making public sensitization essential in promoting, prevention and access to support services,”Dazyam said.
She urged residents to remain vigilant and report cases of abuse, trafficking, and exploitation to relevant authorities, stressing that protecting vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, is a shared responsibility.
The Metro Bus Sensitization Campaign forms part of the Commission’s broader efforts to promote gender equality, protect human rights, and create safer communities across Plateau State.
Passengers who participated in the exercise, commended the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that would help increase public awareness and encourage collective action against gender-based violence and child trafficking.
Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.
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