The Ministry of Women Affairs has appealed to development partners to support the acquisition of more forensic machines to carry out test of rape cases in the country.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen made this known at the media briefing to flag off activities to commemorate the 2022 16 Days of Activism on Elimination of Gender-Based Violence in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The 16 Days of Activism on elimination of Gender-Based Violence campaign which kicks off annually on 25 November designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and runs until 10 December, which is another important event designated as Human Rights Day.
The Campaign, championed by Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 has gained prominence as a strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen said the available statistics revealed that in Nigeria, thirty per cent of girls and women aged between fifteen and forty-nine are reported to have experienced sexual abuse.
She added that the number of prosecuted cases will greatly improve as the Country is witnessing the lack of survivor-sensitive approaches in court procedures and delay in all stages of proceedings are gradually changing with more States setting up Special Courts to speed up the justice system.
The Minister said “government at all levels will continue to respond positively to address the unacceptable trends and patterns of Gender Based Violence through survivor-centred essential services.
“I want to appeal to our Development partners to support the acquisition of forensic machine to make it easy to carry out test of rape cases in the Country, as the existing ones can only be accessed in Adamawa and Lagos state. More safe spaces are needed to cater for the need of Gender Based Violence victims”. She added.
The UN Women Representative Beatrice Eyong who noted that gender based violence is an economic issue called for prevention and elimination of against women and girls.
“Unite campaign call for global action to increase awareness, garvanised advocacy efforts and share knowledge and innovation to end violence against women and girls once and for all”.
Eyong noted that “Unite campaign also call on governments, development actors, civil society, women’s organizations young people,the private sector, the mediator join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls”.
Also the Country representative of UNFPA, Ms Ulla Mueller, said women with disability are more prone to Gender Based Violence.
She called on all to unite to end all forms of violence in a world of conflict and insecurity.
“They are invisible in many society, they are also invisible in our statistics when we talk about Gender Based Violence, however a deep dive into those statistics we would see that women with disability is more likely to be more exposed to Gender Based Violence.
She therefore “called on he for she and she for she to have an obligation to ensure that their lives are always safe too”.
The 2022 commemoration has the theme: “Unite! Activism to end Violence Against Women and Girls.”
Olusola Akintonde
