Violence Against Women, Girls: Christian Council seeks collective efforts

Christian Council of Nigeria, CCN has sought more collective efforts to end Violence Against Women and Girls through an aggressive approach and raising awareness to the grassroots communities across the country.

The Council also said it’s committed to establishing institutions that will allow women and girls to flourish in all ways, spiritually, physically, sexually and psychologically.

President of the Council, Most Reverend Fubara Emmanuel, stated the development while declaring a long week sensitisation opened in Sokoto organised by CCN in collaboration with UNICEF under the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative.

Most Reverend Emmanuel said the political and social system are not skewed in favour of women and girls, rather against them.

” We commit, therefore to directly, personally and communally all systems of marginalisation that we have inherited or set up or that we are presently designing or setting up.

” We also commit to promoting practices that would allow women and girls to flourish in all forms of our environment.

” We shall collectively seek to reject abuse of women and girls in all forms, including women’s force domestication, discrimination in religious, political and social settings,” the President said.

He urged the government to facilitate the release of innocent women and girls in captivity of different terrorists across the country, especially those that were kidnapped in Kaduna school.

According to him, the CCN is not convinced that governments of the nations of the world are sufficiently tackling the challenges with respect to violence against women and girls.

” In reflecting on the role of faith-based organizations in ending violence against women and girls,  we are not convinced that the government of our dear country is clearly winning this battle”. 

” We challenge them to win because we have all it takes to have a secure country and to end all forms of violence especially those against women and girls,” he added.

Reverend Emmanuel added that during this week of enlightenment, CCN would use all avenues and expose all forms of violence against women and girls and re-examine the existing policies of all the bodies in a view to discerning whether or not these policies perpetuate violence against them in any form.

He explained that the enlightenment would engage street rallies and meet with significant political and government figures who can initiate positive changes.

” We shall hand out fliers and stickers that would send out our messages and pray to our one and only creator and redeemer in our churches so that by the grace of God we shall see an age in which violence against children is ended,” he stated.

He added that phase one of the project has Sokoto, Adamawa, FCT, Ebonyi, Lagos and Sokoto as a focal state.

The National President called on all religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders to join hands with the Christian Council of Nigeria in fighting the menace.

In her remarks, the National Coordinator of Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, Mrs. Uzoaku Williams, said the essence of the enlightenment is to educate the people of Sokoto to end the menace across the state.

Mrs. Williams added that women and girls are daily violated either on the Street, at home, in churches, mosques and especially places where they are safe, where they need to be protected, but violated.

” Due to the culture of silence which has so engulfed our society nobody is ready to speak out, even the victims themselves don’t want to speak out.

” When you see things that are not normally speak out to help vulnerable and change the narrative for the future of the child and that woman,” she urged.

The enlightenment has a series of activities lined up for the week as include Engaging School Teachers for sensitization, Visiting Schools in two LGAs of Sokoto, Sensitising the community through public rallies and roads show and finally Interdenominational service of Thanksgiving to God.

Nnenna.O