The Coalition of Eastern NGOs (CENGOS) is an umbrella organization of over 100 NGOs in the nine States of the old Eastern Region (Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa) with the mandate to promote and protect the human rights of Nigerian citizens and build the capacity of civil society.
CENGOS is focused on pooling the knowledge and resources of NGOs in the old eastern region to achieve sustainable development and to address issues of human rights, democracy and good governance. CENGOS’ strategy for addressing these issues includes: advocacy, capacity building, service delivery, fundraising, collaboration and networking.
- Training of trainers for CENGOS members on CEDAW
- Step down training on CEDAW by trainees in the nine member states
- Traditional Rulers’ Workshop
- Civic Forum Discussion Project running simultaneously in nine states
- Public Hearing on Affirmative Action for increased women’s Political Participation
- Media Round table on Affirmative Action
- Publication of Pamphlet on the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The project was successfully implemented with the result that there are now existing in nine states CEDAW experts who are in a position to monitor the CEDAW bills in the nine States Houses of Assembly and monitor compliance with its provisions in their respective communities. CEDAW is now a household name in these states at the grassroots level. Representatives of the Traditional institution in these states are now aware of CEDAW and its basic provisions of equality and human rights generally. The communiqué released by the traditional rulers who attended the Traditional Rulers Consultative Forum/Dialogue on CEDAW revealed their commitment to change things for the better in their communities particularly with respect to customary practices that deny women of their rights. The media in those states are now tuned in to the issues of human rights and women’s rights. Copies of the pamphlet on CEDAW were widely distributed in these nine states. One of the outcomes of this project is that several NGOs in the states are implementing projects in this line as they understand the document better. In fact, feedbacks reveal that the National Assembly is on the verge of domesticating CEDAW and the state Houses of Assembly are sufficiently aware of the document and are willing to pass the laws at the state level.
|
