A group, the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), advocated on Wednesday for the domestication of the national gender policy in Ogun State to protect women and young girls against sexual abuse.
It also demanded the establishment of specialised courts to hear and hasten sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) cases in the state.
Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the Executive Director of WARDC, stated this in her remarks during a town hall meeting with community-based women groups, teachers, artisans, parents, and CSOs held in Hall Abeokuta on June 12.
The town hall meeting was part of activities to commemorate #16daysofactivism to promote gender equality and social inclusion.
The ED emphasised the need for the government of the state to domesticate the national gender policy and equally approved the Costed Action Plan.
She also urged the state to provide shelter for women facing sexual and gender-based violence, while noting that WARDC, with support from other women’s rights groups, has secured the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (2015) and the National Gender Policy (2021-2026), among other laws.
Akiyode-Afolabi bemoaned the rise in sexual and gender-based violence in the state, saying, “WARDC is leading a national working group across all geopolitical zones in the country on including gender rights in budget creation and implementation.
“There is an urgent need for a government-supported shelter for women facing SGBV, specialised courts to hear and hasten SGBV cases, and a government-instituted Women’s Fund to cater for women’s issues.”
Addressing the women groups, the First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs. Abiodun, urged women battling with domestic violence to speak out, seek help, and not die in silence.
She pledged the commitment of the state to the domestication of the national gender policy in the state.
Mrs Abiodun urged parents to care more for their children and report any case of rape or violence to the appropriate authorities.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
COP28 delegates: Invest in production, not frivolities, Peter Obi knocks Tinubu
Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections has reacted to the long list of delegates that travelled with…
I studied for seven hours daily for four years — ACU best graduating student
To attain great academic success, the best-graduating student at Ajayi Crowther University for the 2022–2023 academic session, Susanna Akinteye, has…
CBN will freeze your accounts if you don’t link your BVN-NIN
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that all accounts without the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and…
How housewives are coping with exorbitant cost of pepper
YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE reports that in addition to significant increase in cost of food items, many Nigerian homes that…
Service chiefs on national security
SPEAKING at the Green Chamber when he led service chiefs to address parliamentarians on pertinent security issues last week, the Chief of…
Gusau outlines 2030 vision for Nigeria football development
President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has outlined his plan for…
and then