DON’T STOP GBV CASES — MINISTER CAUTIONS TRADITIONAL/RELIGIOUS LEADERS

REPORTER: LAWRENCE NWOKEDI

The Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Ohanenye, says the Federal Government is committed to ensure that all states key into the Gender Based Violence National dashboard reportage of the country.

Mrs. Ohanenye stated this in Umuahia in a message to a two-day sensitization/step down training on Gender Based Violence workshop organized by the Office of the Wife of the Governor of Abia State in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Abia State and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.

The Minister represented by the Director Planning and Research in the Ministry, Mr. Tony Iwere, noted the need for survivals of gender base violence to report perpertrators of the act to relevant authorities to ensure adequate punishments on them.

She pointed out that no religious leader or traditional ruler had any right to stop any case of rape or defilement, stating that only the court had the mandate to handle the case.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Abia State, Mrs. Ngozi Felix, represented by the Director Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry, Mrs. Felicia Onwuha, explained that gender based violence could come in form of physical, verbal, psychological, sexual and domestic violence.

The Committer further explained that the training was organized to gather Gender Base Violence stakeholders who had desire in the fight against all matters relating to gender based violence.

They are also to suggest channel of reportage to the National dashboard in order for the state to be heard.

In their various goodwill messages, the representives of the Judiciary, the Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps and some Civil Society Organizations expressed concern that gender based violence was underreported in the state.

He listed stigma and shame survivals face, lack of proper awareness, cultural norms of the society and Psychological impact survivals of GBV face as some of the reasons for the under reportage of GBV.

Over two hundred participants are attending the workshop

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU