Safe Space Initiative and the Embassy of Brazil have staged the play, Mirror Mirror, again in Abuja to increase awareness on the impact of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Executive Director of Safe Space Initiative, Tosin Akinbode-Osho, said the play “is a campaign that speaks to the gender norms and GBV issues.
She said: “For us at Safe Space Initiative, this is a community advocacy and story-telling tool that we seek to take to different states of the nation to address the issue of GBV from the grassroots, from our communities.
“The play actually is about two middle-aged couples and how they grew up mirroring norms in the society, including negative gender norms.”
According to her, the initiative seeks to help survivors of GBV access help through psychosocial therapy, empowerment and a safe space to heal and be re-integrated into society.
She added: “We are taking the Mirror Mirror stage play to all the 36 states of the federation. This is our fourth show in Abuja and we plan to take it to other states in the coming quarter.”
Charge d’Affairs, Brazilian embassy in Nigeria, João Marcelo-Soares, pointed out that “GBV is a universal problem that comes from inequality” between men and women.
According to him, GBV is, above all, a question of justice. “This is about the third or fourth event in the embassy about GBV, and I think that expresses how important the issue is. I believe we are making progress.
“We have very fundamental roles to play, as this does not only affect the economy but all aspects of our lives.”
Speaking on the impact of the play on its target audience, Project Coordinator, Women’s Voices and Leadership, ActionAid Nigeria, Niri Goyit, said her agency works to reduce and eradicate poverty by working with people living in poverty, especially women.
Goyit said: “ActionAid works to reduce gender inequality and we do a lot of work with local women’s rights organisations, networks and movements to reach out on different issues around women and girls, so we are proud partners with Safe Space Initiative.”