As part of its activities marking International Women’s Day, Lafarge Africa, a sustainable building solutions company and a manufacturer of cement brands, is undertaking initiatives to strengthen awareness of gender-based violence within its host communities. This effort extends to communities including Mfamosing, Ewekoro, and Sagamu.
The company recently organized a sensitization and defense workshop in its host communities where students were educated on the need to be self-aware of gender-based violence and the best way to approach it whenever it arises.
At Onitolo Community Senior High School, Lagos, the Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability Director, Lafarge Africa, Viola Graham-Douglas emphasized on the significance of helping young girls to understand the meaning of gender-based violence.
According to Graham-Douglas, gender-based violence is not just about inflicting physical harm to the
victims. She said,
Gender-based violence is any action that makes you feel unsafe, disrespected, or powerless because of your gender. If someone or a situation makes you feel uncomfortable or afraid, trust your gut, speak up and talk to someone that you trust. You are protecting yourself, and that is always the right thing to do.
During the workshop, Graham Douglas told the gathering highlighted steps to be taken to defend themselves should they find themselves in any form of abuse. She later shared affirmations with the young girls and encouraged them to be bold, confident and self- aware whether at school, or anywhere else they find themselves.
A guest speaker, the Chief Executive Officer, Famasi Africa, Adeola Ayoola charged the young girls to be bold and courageous in confronting their fears by exposing those people involved in gender-based violence. She added that being bold and courageous would bring shame to the actors.
Ayoola urged the young women and girls to avoid seeking people’s validation for their actions as this could make them vulnerable to gender-based violence. She therefore charged them to be self-confident and believe in themselves.
When you are seeking validity, you just want everybody to like you. Doing this will make you vulnerable to gender-based violence, especially at your age. This is because there is a whole lot going on in the lives of teenagers, She said.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, The Re-Direct Academy, Helen Oladele, a gender-based advocate, stressed the need for young ladies to be disciplined and inculcate the right values that would help them shape the future they desire.
Oladele explained that it has become necessary for young girls to have a voice to enable them to challenge any force(s) intended to inflict abuse on them.
At a breakout session involving counsellors and volunteers from the company, each speaker took turns to share their experiences to the students, urging those who have been victims to fight the stigma and gain back their confidence.
Part of the workshop activities was a taekwondo session with students taken through different martial arts as a form of self-defense against gender-based violence.
The gender-based sensitization and defense workshop was put together by Lafarge Africa in partnership with Education District IV, Lagos Ministry of Education.
Introducing Lafarge Africa
Lafarge Africa, a well-established Nigerian building solutions company is a member of Holcim, a leader in innovation and sustainable building solutions. Listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group, Lafarge Africa is actively participating in the urbanization and economic growth of Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa.
Lafarge Africa has a large footprint in Nigeria with cement operations in the Southwest (Ewekoro and Sagamu in Ogun State), Northeast (Ashaka, in Gombe State), Southeast (Mfamosing, Cross Rivers State) with Ready-Mix operations in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Lafarge Africa has a current installed cement production capacity of 10.5Mtpa.
Lafarge Africa leverages on its innovative expertise to provide value-added products and services solutions in the building and construction industry in Nigeria.
Key Products and Services:
- Cement Solutions: Ecoplanet Unicem, Whatshield Cement, RoadCem, PowerMax, Elephant Supaset, Elephant Cement and Ashaka Cement
- Concrete: Ready-Mix Solutions, Value Added/Specific Purpose Products Piling Solution, Ultraseries
- Mortar Solutions: Supafix, Supa Whyte POP
- Aggregates: sustainably sourced materials to recycled construction and demolition waste, provide the raw materials for concrete, masonry and asphalt, as well as foundation for buildings and roads. Additional information is available here.
Introducing Holcim
Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy Holcim is becoming a net zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving the circular economy as a world leader in recycling to build more with less.
Holcim is the company behind some of the world’s most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim and Lafarge. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products.
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- Ginikanwa Frank-Durugbor
- Head, Corporate Communications
- Ginikanwa.frank- See details here
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