Violence Against Women, Girls, Unacceptable- Speaker Abbas

By Bukar BOLORI

The Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas on Monday declared as unacceptable violence against women and girls in the country.

Abbas decried this year’s United Nations report that for every 10 minutes a woman is being killed across the world.

The Speaker who joined the United Nations organised walk against gender violence in the country, as part of the activities lined up for the 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender based Violence in Nigeria, called for actions to contain the ills against women.

The walk which was organised by the United Nations Women in collaboration with the House of Representatives as part of the 16 days of activisim, started at the National Assembly and terminated at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.

The Speaker assured the gathering that the House of Representatives will play an active role in the next national action plan against gender violence.

He said: “This year’s program came at a time when all over the world women are crying, women are in anger, women are in frustration. For this is the year the United Nations has issued a damn report that for every 10 minutes a woman is being killed across the world. This is an unacceptable trend.

“This is an unforgivable trend. We in the parliament must hope to unite more than ever before with relevant authorities, particularly the law enforcement in ensuring that we cut this dangerous trend to the barest minimum.

“I want to say it categorically clear here that the National Assembly will do everything humanly possible to ensure that all forms of violence against women and girls are drastically reduced if not completely eliminated in the very near future.

“I want to also announce that the National Assembly, particularly the House of Representatives, will play an active role in the next National Action Plan against women and violence that will be coming out very soon. We will send our representatives. We will also participate actively in ensuring that robust policies are enacted that will significantly reduce the incidence of violence of all kinds against women, against children, against girls.

“So it’s my pleasure, honourable colleagues, to declare these 16 days of activism to mark the elimination of women violence in Nigeria. We hope members of the press, our honorable colleagues and other partners will participate actively in the 16 days to show our own case, to make our own point that enough is enough. The time has come when violence of all kinds must stop.”

On his part, the Minister of Youth, Ayodele Olawande said the ministry will be establishing a help desk, specifically for the women, youth and girls whereby they can interact with the government.

He said that the current administration wants to ensure that the women and youth feel the government, adding that: “As a ministry, we have decided to also in coules of weeks time, we are going to have a young and secure which is women, youth and the Ministry of Youth will be coming up with help desk whereby all the youth in this country, most especially women and girls can communicate with us. We want to be with you. We want for the first time that the youth, women and girls feel the government.”

Speaking at the Police Headquarters, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs, urged the security outfit to join the fight against violence against women.

She said: “We are there to present a petition for immediate intervention, investigation and prosecution on gender based violence to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

“We are calling on you to combat gender based violence during the 16 days of activism and beyond. We want to bring to your attention, the harrowing plight of Nigerian women.

“As study indicate that one in every three women globally are victims of gender based violence in Nigeria. Report of National Demographics amd Health survey, reveals that 30% of women between 15 to 29 have experienced physical violence, with many suffering abuse in the hands of partners.”

She therefore urged the IG to put the police across the country on red alert to ensure justice for gender based violence, stressing that they want justice, adding that the leadership of House of Representatives are unanimous on the point that there is no excuse for gender based violence.

In his response, the IGP said the occassion is a reminder that eradicating gender based violence is a collective effort, adding, “It is not by law enforcement actions alone that we can eradicate gender violence. It is a collective obligation of every one of us. Gender based violence is a grimreality that has continued to devastate lives across the globe.

“Across the continent of Africa, countless of women and children have continued to suffer all kinds of abuses including domestic violence, sexual assault. There are some areas where the traditions also abuses the right of women. We have cases of genital mutilation amongst others.

“It is a collective efforts that we must all fight. We must all come.together, put our actions together to eradicate this unacceptable reality in our communities.

“He further assured the women that since 2006, the Nigeria Police Force had developed a gender policy which it has integrated into its global framework of policing.”