Foundation Decries Increase In Gender- based Violence In Northeast

• WARDC Gives Reasons Harmful Practices Against Women Persist

THE Foundation for Peace, Hope and Conflict Management ( FPHCM) has expressed sadness over increasing cases of gender- based violence ( GBV) in Taraba State and the Northeast.

The group, yesterday, held a sensitisation and advocacy programme in Wukari Local Council to create awareness and enlighten the public of dangers of GBV.

The Executive Director of the Foundation, Rev. Fr. Anthony I. Bature, said: “Incidence of gender- based violence is growing astronomical with activities of the insurgency and COVID- 19 pandemic in the Northeast.

“There is an uprising of GBV in Taraba State, particularly in Wukari Local Council, which include “intimate partner violence, non- partner sexual assault, female genital mutilation, sexual exploitation, child abuse and child marriage, among others.”

Also, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre ( WARDC), has linked the increasing cases of gender- based violence and harmful practices against girls in the country to inadequate legislations that could have assisted in eliminating all forms of discrimination against women.

Speaking at a two- day capacity strengthening workshop for networks and coalitions to monitor and demand accountability on gender- based violence in Abuja, Executive Director of WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode- Afolabi urged government to put in place stringent measures that would facilitate the eradication of gender- based violence.

The workshop was organised by WARDC in partnership with European Union, and United Nations Spotlight Initiative.

Akiyode- Afolabi said: “The workshop was designed to support the capacity of existing networks/ coalitions of women’s organisations that have been identified as key game- changers to monitor and demand accountability of Ministries Departments

Agencies ( MDAS) to ensure sustainable prevention of GBV.”

President and Founder, Women Law and Development Africa, Hauwa Shekarau, commended the National Assembly for giving gender parity a priority in the ongoing constitutional amendment.

The Chief Executive Officer of Great Gender Grassroots Foundation ( G3F), Leah O Solomon, in her paper presentation ‘ Early Child Marriage and Genital Mutilation as a form of GBV,” affirmed that “early marriage brings early fatherhood, and with it added pressure to provide for a family, cutting short education and job opportunities. “