Child protection is a collective responsibility —Experts

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5 years ago

It is the responsibility of everyone in the society to protect the girl-child from gender violence and abuse, this has been said.

This was the submission of participants at a stakeholders meeting organised by Hope for Second Chance Foundation (HOSEIC) to fight sexual abuse, recently held at the Social Development Staff Training Centre, Samonda, Ibadan.

The Oyo State Commissioner For Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Faosat Joke Sanni, in her address at the programme disclosed that “from March till date the state had recorded a total of 66 cases of rape survivors from between the ages of 1 and 16 years.

“There is a need for a coordinated approach to combat all forms of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in our society,” Sanni said, adding that, her ministry had zero tolerance to rape, and Oyo State, through her ministry had set in motions plans to combat the menace.

The convener of the programme who is also the founder of HOSEIC, Ibukun Otesile, in her opening remarks stated that: Child’s protection was eveybody’s business.

“That is the reason we organised this stakeholder meeting. We are all stakeholders, whether you are a parent or not, whether you are male or female.There is nobody who does not have relationship with women.”

Also speaking at the event, a deputy director with the Directorate of Research and External Relations, Tai Solarin University of Education, Dr Adefunke Ekine, stated that: “I have had an opportunity to work with children for 25 years. Violation and inequality of the girl-child starts from the primary school.

“We just conducted a research with 29 primary schools and recorded 47 sexual harassment issues among primary 4 and 6 pupils amounting to 47. 1 per cent in six states.

“We worked with over a thousand children and discovered that some children were even abusing each other. The rate of sexual abuse in primary schools is alarming and calls for immediate action.

“We must all work together to eradicate this menace. We should train our children both boys and girls to respect and value each other.

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