ABIA STATE GOVT PLEGDES TO CREATE SEXUAL ASSULT REFERAL CENTRE

Reporter : LAWRENCE NWOKEDI

The Abia State Government says it will setup a Sexual Offenders Watchlist, which will be a classified document for use by Gender Based Violence (GBV) actors and responders in tracking repeated offenders in the state. The wife of the Abia State Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu, announced this during the closing ceremony of capacity strengthening workshop on Gender Based Violence Response, Multi-Sectoral Coordination and Behavioural Change for GBV responders and actors in Umuahia.

She said that a Sexual Assault Referral Center would also be established to act a one stop answer to a lot of challenges confronting the system. The wife of the Governor noted that government was building a strong response mechanism where survivors of Gender Based Violence would be given medical, psychological, social and legal assistance in order to overcome the sad experience most of them witness and move forward with their lives stronger.

The Acting Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Women Affairs, the Reverend Jane Omereonye, commended the wife of the Governor for her support to the fight against Gender Based Violence in the state and called on the participants to make proper use of the knowledge they have acquired from the training in tackling GBV. Over fifty participants drawn from various nongovernmental organizations, health sector, local government areas, security agencies and the media participated in the workshop.