16 days of activities: FG, UN, requesting enforcement of VAPP law in each state
27,698 SGBV cases were recorded in 6 states between 2020 and 2023
It is estimated that 340 million women and girls will still be living in extreme poverty by 2030.
The Federal Government is calling for full implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) in states across the Federation to mitigate and reduce incidents of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, spoke at a press conference in Abuja yesterday to mark this year’s 16 Days of Activism Unite Campaign themed “Investing to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls”. I called out.
She said states were laudable for adopting the VAPP Act, but governments at that level needed to ensure full implementation of the law to protect women and children in Nigeria from all forms of violence. .
According to her, “This theme inter alia focuses on improving accountability and investment in girls’ education, ICT, women’s socio-economic advancement and empowerment, violence in all its forms, especially rape, sexual abuse, assault, sexual abuse, We are calling for investment to end harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), widowhood and disinheritance, to name just a few.
“If current trends continue, by 2030 more than 340 million women and girls will still live in extreme poverty and nearly one in four will experience moderate or severe food insecurity. It will be.
“Increased vulnerability posed by anthropogenic climate change is likely to worsen this outlook, with as many as 236 million additional women and girls becoming food insecure under the worst-case climate scenario. .
Barrister Kennedy Ohanenye points out that although we have reached half of the ultimate goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world has not achieved gender equality and is therefore moving further and further away from the goal.
“There is no place to hide for all offenders against our girls and women. As we consider this important theme for this year’s commemorations, we would like to thank women and girls, our institutions, MDAs, development partners and I would like all of us to think deeply about the level and type of investment that has been accumulated over the years, bilaterally, multilaterally and indeed for the world: the private sector, she said.
The ministry added: “It is estimated that one in three Nigerian women, or 35%, have experienced intimate partner violence at some point in their lives.” According to statistics from the GBV Data Situation Room.
“In the past year, Nigeria with six states (Adamawa, Lagos, Sokoto, Cross River and FCT) undergoing the spotlight program recorded 27,698 cases of sexual and gender-based violence between 2020 and 2023. 1,145 deaths were recorded from GBV. 393 perpetrators were convicted. 9,636 open cases. 3,432 new infections. 1,741 cases closed during the study period. , there were 1,895 cases followed.
Calling for greater empowerment of women and girls, as well as increased budgetary allocation to protect and protect women and girls through the VAPP Act, United Nations (UN) Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmer, said: . We stand in solidarity with relevant governments, development partners, civil society organizations (CSOs), women’s organizations, the private sector and the media in calling for an end to violence against women.
“We know that a staggering 736 million women worldwide, or almost one in three women worldwide, have experienced sexual and physical intimacy at least once in their lifetime. and non-partner sexual violence, or both.
Violence negatively impacts women’s physical and mental health and well-being at all stages of their lives, and negatively impacts national development. ”
“Unfortunately, violence against girls and women remains one of the most widespread and pervasive human rights violations in the world.”
Sumer said that although many countries have passed laws to combat violence against women and girls, “weak enforcement and discriminatory social norms remain significant problems.”
They therefore appealed to stakeholders to work towards the full implementation of all laws protecting women and girls from violence.
Source: guardian.ng