SEXUAL AND GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE: Lagos First Lady Takes Crusade To Alimosho

 

The wife of the Lagos State Government, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has extended Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) awareness to residents and stakeholders in the Alimosho area of the state. Sexual and gender-based violence advocates for the involvement of members of the community-fighting threat.

The global 16 days of activism against sexual and gender-based violence which was held within the premises of alimosho General Hospital was a partnership between the office of the lady the First lady and the Ministry of Health to take the direction to the grassroots.

The Lagos first lady who was represented by the wife of the commissioner for information and strategy Mrs funmilayo omotosho disclosed that the extension of the campaign to Alimosho local government was a result of the reported cases of SGBV within the area and the need to reverse the mode.

Mrs. Sanwo-Olu urged relevant stakeholders within the local government to join hands with the state government to jointly address the menace and come forward with a formidable strategy that will help change the narrative.

“For us in Lagos State, Sexual abuse, especially as it concerns woken and children, is an evil act that cannot and must not be tolerated”, she averred.

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“The government wants to do everything in its power to prevent, identify, and deal with child abuse and child sexual abuse. Professionals and the general public need to be alert to signs of child abuse and communicate this with each other if necessary” she stressed

“The presence of sexual behavior may be enough to suspect sexual abuse and report to authorities for investigation; however, sexual behavior itself cannot be a sole determining factor for diagnosing sexual abuse. Confirming sexual abuse in young children is quite complex, because often there is no physical evidence and no witnesses, and aspects If the abuse (e.g., threats by the perpetrator) hamper clear reporting by the child” she added.

Earlier in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Olysegun Ogboye, said that SGBV undermined the health, dignity, and security of its victims, stressing that the victims of menace can suffer sexual and reproductive health consequences, including forced and unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, trauma fistula, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and even death.

Eko Hot Blog has gathered Ogboye revealed that the issue of sexual and gender-based violence is of great importance to the First lady, adding that efforts are being intensified to secure the support of the House of Assembly to promulgate relevant laws that would help prescribe appropriate punishment for culpable individuals.

 

The Director from the Ministry of justice, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Odusanya, underscored the need to have relevant laws in place to support the efforts of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) such that there will be an appropriate punishment backed by law for perpetrators of the sexual offenses.

She also advocated for the establishment of a sexual register that will have the list of sexual offenders which can be perused by members of the public when seeking the services of individuals with good moral standing.