Nigeria’s Gender, Sexual Violence Rate Disturbing – UK

• The British High Commission in Nigeria has expressed worries over the rate of sexual and gender violence in the country, saying it is disturbing.

The High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, said the mission would be partnering the government and various groups to address the situation to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, as well as the annual 16 days of activism against gender violence which started on Wednesday.

The High Commission said in a statement that it was supporting the United Nations theme for this year, ‘Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!’

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Laing said the mission would be working closely with various partners in government, the Ministry of Women Affairs, UN Women, and other groups.

Laing in a video message said, “Violence including sexual violence against women, girls and boys is the most widespread form of human rights abuse worldwide.

“And with COVID, we have seen alarming increases in sexual and gender based violence, including sadly here in Nigeria where the numbers are really very disturbing.

“It affects women, girls and boys across the whole country, all ethnicities, all social classes, so nobody can feel completely protected.

Women and girls from all corners of the world continue to experience violence and abuse.”

In a related development, the House of Representatives decried the rising cases of violence against women and girls, urging the federal, state and local governments to galvanise an action plan against the menace, Ekohotblog gathered.

The House made the call at the plenary on Wednesday in commemoration of the ‘International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women’ which is marked every November 25.

The Deputy Chief Whip, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, had moved a motion of urgent public importance to seek government protection of women and girls.

The motion was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.

NHRC receives 232 petitions on violence

Also, the National Human Rights Commission said on Wednesday that it received a total of 232 complaints on violence against women and girls from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, within four months.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Mr Tony Ojukwu, said the petitions were received between March and June 2020.

A statement by the commission’s Assistant Director Public Affairs, Fatimah Mohammed, said the Executive Secretary disclosed this at the NHRC headquarters in Abuja at an event marking the commencement of “16 days of activism on violence against women and girls.”

The statement titled, ‘NHRC joins the global fight against SGBV’, said Ojukwu lamented on Wednesday that the menace of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence “cuts across class, geography and culture.

The statement added, “The human rights boss disclosed that to show commitment to ending the menace, the commission in collaboration with Open Society Initiative for West Africa launched a mobile app called UNSUB, a platform that connects survivors of SGBV to service providers.”

Source: Punch