. Prof. Aisha Sank Maikudi
Abuja.
A conference on gender equality, violence against women and social inclusion has suggested that states and local governments should be compelled to domesticate the National Gender Policy to give women and girls their rightful positions in society.
Five speakers lined up for the programme which was organised by the International Centre in collaboration with the University of Abuja UNESCO Club argued without exception that women still suffer unmitigated violence in the country despite efforts by the federal and state governments to control the situation.
Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, who was represented by Mrs. Victoria Lar, listed the efforts of the Federal administration to alleviate women from poverty and from domestic violence through empowerment programmes aimed at making them more productive but observed that only the FCT has domesticated the National Gender Policy.
She regretted that violence, especially rape of minors has lately increased in the country especially during the last enforced sit-at-home brought by Covid-19 pandemic and stated that proactive measures have since been taken to reduce the incident to the barest minimum by opening reporting channels and training more women on personal safety measures.
During the period, she stated, more than 6,000 cases of violence against women were reported but regretted that only a few were satisfactorily investigated and prosecuted for victims to get justice, adding that the failure of many cases was due to the reluctance of complainants to pursue the matter further.
The minister stated that the ministry also initiated some programmes with the 36 state governors’ wives on how to enhance the protection of women and the girl-child through improved access to education and economic empowerment activities.
Dame Taken stated that the Ministry of Women Affairs has taken public enlightenment on gender equality and the need to eliminate violence against women to schools where sensitization programmes have been organised to raise the attention of students on the need to report any form of violence especially rape against women.
Dr. Gloria Shajobi-Ibikunle, Associate Professor of law and Chairperson of SOAR Initiative identified silence as a major hindrance to the campaign against domestic and other forms of violence experienced by women.
The activist regretted that several women who have been victims of domestic or sexual violence choose to remain silent because of the social stigma and the cumbersome nature of the nation’s legal system.
On her part, a Director at the FCT Sexual and Gender-based Violence Response Team, Mrs. Jacinta Ngozi Ike disclosed that about 492 cases of domestic violence were handled in 2021 alone and that 20 rape cases were reported every week in the territory within the Covid-19 period alone adding that some of the offenses were committed with extreme aggression.
Mrs. Ngozi Ike disclosed that sexual assault referral centres have been established in several parts of the FCT and she advised victims to take advantage of such facilities while seeking help after attacks.
In an interview with newsmen, the convener of the programme, Dr. Aisha Sani Makudi, who is the Director, International Centre and Associate Professor of International Law, explained that the conference was put in place to honour this year’s Global Day for the elimination of violence against women and the girls-child.
Aisha observed that the level of violence against women in Nigeria was still relatively very high stating that it ranged from early and forced marriages, domestic violence, unethical widowhood practices and genital mutilation among others.
The director called on Nigerians to join hands with other gender-sensitive stakeholders to eliminate every form of violence against women and while calling on states as well as local governments to domesticate the National Gender Policy to help raise the status of women, Aisha stated that the country will be better when the rights of women are properly respected.
She hoped a club will be set up in the University of Abuja to assist female students, who have been victims of sexual harassment from some lecturers for better marks, to report their experiences apart from making the sensitisation lecture programme an annual project on campus.
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Abdul-Raseed Na’Allah, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Professor Abubakar Sadeeque Abba reiterated that the university has zero-tolerance for sexual violence and the harassment of female students by staff or fellow students warning that the law would deal decisively with culprits.