Ending gender-based violence still a long journey

The wife of the Governor of Abia State, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, has said there is still a long way to go to ending gender-based violence in Nigeria.

In a statement released by her Chief Press Secretary, Chika Ojiegbe, in Umuahia over the weekend, Mrs Ikpeazu, who has been championing the ‘EndGBV’ movement, called for greater cohesion amongst the various institutions and individuals working in the human rights space to end gender-based violence in Nigeria.

The theme this year was ’16 Days of Activism: Unite Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls’, as well as the message from UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, are pointers to the fact that every person should commit to transformative actions that will end GBV.

Mrs Ikpeazu expressed her support for public campaigns and implementation of the laws to see that survivors get justice and the right to social support.

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The Abia first lady affirmed that there is need to increase public funding for programmes that tackle GBV as well as to involve grassroots communities and civil society groups at every stage of decision-making.

She revealed that part of the activities lined up for the 16days of activism in Abia State would include; several radio talkshows, online engagement on Twitter, and a one-day interactive session with school-age kids about school related gender-based violence, as well as a roadshow.

Mrs Ikpeazu further revealed that the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Abia under-construction, would be completed and commissioned during the period, while she would also host a seminar tagged a “Night of Orange Colours” were stakeholders in GBV response, civil society organisations and the judicial system would converge to rededicate efforts to end GBV in the state in particular and Nigeria in general.

She further thanked the governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, for supporting several systems and institutional structures put in place to fight GBV and commended the House of Assembly for passing many laws that protect vulnerable persons.

The laws include the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, the Disability Law, the Child Rights Law under review and the most recent law the Female Inheritance Law, passed a few days ago by the House.

She expressed her positive expectation that the governor would sign the Female Inheritance Law (H.A.B. 61:Abia State Female Persons Right of Inheritance of Property Law 2022) in a few days as part of the high points of the 16days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.