BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – A Model Action plan towards the effective implementation of the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law under a United Nations (UN) Women project known as ‘Strengthening state Capacities and Women’s Participation in COVID-19 response and broader peace building initiatives’ is being developed.
The decision was taken at a stakeholders Workshop held in Bauchi and attended by stakeholders comprising of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), security agencies, judiciary, human rights organizations, students, lecturers, media, religious and traditional rulers who are to mobilize support for the implementation of the VAPP law in Bauchi state.
Speaking at the Workshop, the Country Representative of UN Women, Mrs Comfort Lamprey, explained that the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent rise in domestic violence resulted in increased high level political attention to the scourge of gender based violence, with the Nigerian Governor’s Forum declaring a state of emergency on gender based violence in June, 2020.
Lamprey, who was represented by a Senior management member of the organization, Bukola Ademola Adeliyi, said that Bauchi state became the first state in the Northeast geopolitical zone to domesticate the VAPP Act, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified pre-existing gender inequalities and revealed the sharp rise in gender based violence during the pandemic which requires scale-up efforts towards addressing the scourge.
She said; “Responding to these challenges, UN Women in partnership with British High Commission designed the project which seeks to advance the Women, Peace and Security agenda as well as enhancing a gender responsive COVID-19 response by strengthening state level institutional frameworks to improve prevention and response to gender based violence.
“The model action plan will be developed in consultations with the state and society actors. In achieving the goal of the Bauchi state government prohibition of violence against persons law in the state, an implementation and monitoring Committee will draft the terms of reference and facilitate additional members to review and endorse the terms of reference”.
In her own address, the wife of the Bauchi state Governor, Aisha Bala Mohammed, lamented that violence against persons, especially rape in the country was increasing at an alarming rate, saying that the implementation of the VAPP law in the state will render justice and provide succour for victims of gender based violence.
Mrs Mohammed, who was represented by the State Coordinator, National Human Right Commission, Yachit S. Dala, called on stakeholders to come up with workable plans that will ensure the speedy implementation of the VAPP law.
