Sung Foundation has trained 20 women in the Tolon district to become sexual violence activists and media advocates as part of its efforts to promote inclusive justice for women and children. This training workshop’s objectives were to empower women and girls to speak out against child marriage and sexual abuse and to act as advocates.
These women received education about child marriage, forced marriage, spousal rape, and other types of sexual abuse against women and children. They had all the knowledge needed to act as advocates when they appear in the media, hoping to defuse this troubling situation.
The women participated in an interactive workshop where they learned about their fundamental human rights, how to politely demand fair treatment from their husbands, and when and how to get assistance when those rights are being violated.
After that, these women were divided into groups and given really thought-provoking questions regarding what they had learned. Every group produced excellent submissions after brainstorming. These included knowing the warning signs of sexual assault, how to deal with rape and defilement of their children, teenage pregnancy, when, where, and how to report abuse, as well as the right age to marry off their girlchild.
These women learned about the negative effects of forced or child marriage and were urged to let their children finish their education or acquire a trade as well as attain the legal age before getting married.
Myths like “married women who have gone through menopause must not get intimate with their husbands,” “a husband beating his wife is a symbol of love,” and “a couple must not be intimate after having about three children, otherwise, the man is seen as an irresponsible man” were quickly dispelled.