EVE Organization for Women Development Yambio Office, with support from UNICEF, on Monday, 19 January 2026, conducted a community awareness session on gender-based violence (GBV) risk mitigation at Yambio Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC).

The activity brought together 68 participants including 51 women, 15 girls, and 2 men to openly discuss harmful social norms that continue to hinder women’s progress in leadership and community decision-making.

According to participants, discriminatory practices persist in some communities, where women are not allowed to eat together with men or consume certain foods, such as chicken. Widows further explained that following the death of their husbands, they are often forced to leave their marital homes and denied access to household items and property they built together with their spouses.

Speaking during the session, one woman shared her experience from two years ago, explaining that following the death of her husband, his relatives took all his belongings, including the farm they had worked on together.

 “I was left with only my children and had to start life again from zero,” she said, reflecting on the challenges widows continue to face under harmful social norms.

Speaking during the session, Field Officer emphasized the importance of open communication and community dialogue in preventing GBV and encouraging women and girls to seek services without fear or discrimination.

The awareness session marks the continuation of activities initiated last year, as EVE Organization deepens its community engagement approach to address GBV risks and harmful social norms. By placing women’s voices at the center of the conversation, the organization aims to foster environments where women can lead, participate, and access services without discrimination.