CSO lamented rising cases of GBV in Zamfara

The Zamfara State wing of the Civil Society Organizations Network Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has lamented the rising cases of GBV from 300 to 600 in the state.

The group blamed the increase on the non-implementation of the Violence Against Person Prohibition (VAPP) law and the prosecution of offenders in the state.

The CSO network made the remark during their quarterly review meeting in Gusau, the state capital, calling on the state government to establish the GBV Survivors Trust Fund to support victims suffering from trauma.

The Civil Society Organizations Network, in collaboration with community leaders, religious groups, the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), converged on Gusau, the state capital, to review their activities aimed at tackling Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the state.

The group said that there was a compelling need to intensify awareness creation and strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to effectively and efficiently combat the menace. They also urged the Zamfara State Government to set up a mobile court to deal with GBV issues and implement relevant laws.

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The Chairman of the Network, Hashim Ahmed, identified insecurity as one of the factors responsible for the increase in the number of GBV cases and insisted on a strong commitment from stakeholders in fighting the scourge in Zamfara.

Speaking, the Executive Director of Voluntary Aid Initiative (VAI), Musa Umar, and the State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Abdullahi Abubakar, noted that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are the most vulnerable to GBV.

The network called on the private sector to involve itself in the fight against GBV through funding to stem the menace, appealing to development partners like International Alert to do more to build the capacity of stakeholders to improve the fight and prosecute cases of GBV in the state.