Time To End Sexual And Gender Based Violence Is Now – Aisha Buhari
BY TEMI OHAKWE, ABUJA – The First Lady, Dr. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday declared that the time to end Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) is now.
This was as she castigated the federal government over failure to fully implement its mandate against ending SGBV, adding that the rising and unabated cases of SGBV which led to a declaration of the state of emergency by the federal government on June 10, had continued to be of national concern.
Mrs Buhari, who stated these at the 2nd Annual Conference of the Nigerian Governors Wives’ Forum (NGWF) on Thursday in Abuja, called on the remaining four States that are yet to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition laws VAPP, to validate the Act.
She called on policy makers, traditional rulers and all Stakeholders to synergise on issues of Gender Based Violence GBV to maximum impact on Interventions.
The First Lady said in the pursuance of justice for survivors of SGBV, justice delayed is justice denied, and therefore called for the establishment of special courts to expedite action against cases of GBV and decimate all obstacles against the education of the girl-child.
She further said; “As a result of this entire advocacy, the NGF declared a state of emergency against GBV on June 10th 2020. HE President Muhammadu Buhari supported the calls for urgent action through the
establishment of an inter-ministerial Presidential Task Force on Sexual and Gender Based Violence which is yet to be fully implemented. It is now time to do so.
“The Nigerian Governors’ wives have worked very hard over the past year to follow up on all that is required for an effective GBV response across states in Nigeria.
“Even though it is encouraging to note that at least 30 States have signed the VAPP, the remaining six need to be encouraged to do so as soon as possible. The lives of women and children continue to be at risk.
“Efforts need to be ramped up to provide adequate shelter and care for victims of GBV. Every State should have a shelter, ideally every local government or at least Senatorial district should have one,” Mrs Buhari said.
In her own speech at the event held in advocacy and in support of the 16Days activism on Gender Based Violence, the Chairperson of the Forum, Mrs Bisi Fayemi said Kano, Gombe and Cross River are yet to domesticate the VAPP act.
Fayemi said that so far 31 states including the Federal Capital Territory have passed the VAPP law, adding that the developments is an indication that local advocacy has been affective.
She said; “In June 2020, only 14 states had domesticated the VAPP Act. As at November 2021, 31 states including the FCT have passed the VAPP law. This is an indication that the local advocacy of Governors’ Wives has been effective”.
Mrs Fayemi also said that the theme of 2021 event: ‘Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now’, carries, a sense of urgency.
She further said; “That is the spirit in which the State of Emergency was declared in 2020. We still need urgent action. We need to ensure adequate funding of all interventions, respond effectively to the needs of survivors, intensify strategies for the prevention of GBV and collect relevant data for analysis and planning”.
Reeling out the NGWF request to the State Governors, Mrs Fayemi tasked the Nigerian Governors’ Forum to encourage Kano, Gombe and Cross Rivers States to domesticate the VAPP act and called for the provision of required resources to implement VAPP act across the states.
According to Mrs Fayemi; “Currently there are 32 Sexual Assault referal centres in Nigeria thereby calling for establishment of more centres. The NGWF is also requesting for each state to have Gender Based Violence responsive frame work”.
In his own speech, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said the 36 states governors are committed to the drive of the women, hence the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in 31 states including the FCT, adding that the remaining four states yet to accent to the bill will gradually do so.
Fayemi said; “The budgetary allocation to fight Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) will reflect in relevant ministries. All will not be lumped up in the Ministry of Women Affairs.
“I have secured the commitment of my brothers that the institutional set up which is your national Secretariat has been agreed. Provide us with the needed details and we will set the ball rolling” he said.
Speaking in turn, the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Paullen Tallen, said that over 5,500 cases of rape were recorded across six states between April 2020 and November 2021.
Tallen also said that nine States are yet to also domesticate the Child Rights Acts and therefore called on the Governors’ Wives to champion the legacies of women providing supports for fellow women in creating opportunities for each other at the leadership positions.
In the words of Tallen; “Let me appeal to our Governors’ wives to leave a legacy that will install more women in key leadership positions precisely at the National & State Assemblies to further advance the course of women in Nigeria”.
In attendance at the Conference were British High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, UN Women/Nigeria ECOWAS Representative, Ms. Comfort Lamptey,Ford Foundation Program Officer Ms. Funke Baruwa, President National Academy of Science Professor Ekanem Braide.