Oyo govt. calls for zero tolerance for gender-based violence

Violence
By David Adeoye
Ibadan, March 6, 2020 (NAN) The Oyo State government has called on relevant stakeholders to ensure zero tolerance for gender-based violence in all spheres of life in the state.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Faosat Sanni, made the call on Friday in Ibadan during the inauguration of the state’s Proactive Committee on Zero Tolerance to Gender-based Violence.
Sanni said that relevant stakeholders should endevour to do this through their commitment and efforts in order to save the lives of the affected women and children.
She noted that the prevalence of gender-based violence had devastating effects on survivors in various forms.
“This ranges from sexual to economic, psychological, geographical, cultural and class boundaries, which are grave violation of human rights, with negative effects that can have lasting effects on the community, family, survivors and the society at large.
“Gender-based violence also prevents survivors from using their knowledge and skills to their full potentials, when being stigmatised,” she added.
The commissioner urged the stakeholders to come up with resolutions and meaningful ideas that would be of benefit to the state in fighting the crime and tackling the perpetrators.
She stated that a committee, whose members were drawn from relevant ministries, agencies, parastatals and non-governmental organisations, had been put in place to handle women, child abuse and gender-based issues in the state.
She said that the committee was saddled with the responsibility of fighting violence against women and girls, who were the most vulnerable.
“The committee is equally expected to checkmate the prevalence of rape and work out effective and specialised service, which would focus on the needs of survivors as well as the practices required to stop or reduce the act to the barest minimum.
Mrs Dupe Awosemusi, the Coordinator, Oyo State Sexual and Gender- based Violence Response Team, said that gender-based violence was an issue that should be of great concern, as it affected all.
Awosemusi stressed that it was not only women and girls that were survivors, adding that men were equally being abused in one way or the other.
She stated that such abuses included domestic violence, battering, victimization and tongue-lashing as well as domestic, verbal, economic and social abuse, with special emphasis on rape of minors and old women.
“In the Nigerian legal system, constitutionally, a child below 18 years of age cannot give consent for sexual act and whoever perpetrates such act with such a child should be made to face the wrath of the law.
“In fact, most of the perpetrators use the act for ritual purposes, while some are suffering from mental health disorder, psychological and emotional therapy,” she added.
She disclosed that most of the survivors, especially the sexually-abused ones, were always afraid to report to the appropriate quarters as a result of stigmatisation and rejection.
“Some of the survivors are not always available in the court to give evidence against the perpetrators when they are charged to court,” she said.
The coordinator further posited that there should be strong legislation to combat gender-based violence that would ensure that perpetrators act were brought to justice, irrespective of their background or status in the society. (NAN)
DAK/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq