WOWICAN Seeks Stringent Measures Against Gender-based Violence

•Say victims need empathy, support

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

As part of the efforts to curb incidents of rape and domestic violence against women and the girl-child in Nigeria, the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) has urged the federal government to again review the laws to make culprits face stiffer penalties.

Speaking at the sensitization programme for traditional and religious leaders on Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls in Nigeria, the chairperson of WOWICAN, FCT Chapter, Mrs. Felicia Jessa, said apart from taking stringent measures against perpetrators of domestic violence, government should do more to empower women economically.

The event held at ECWA Good News Church in Lugbe, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) saw various resource persons and women leaders engage women and girls in an interactive session on ways to prevent the societal ill and to provide support to victims.

Jessa said that the WOWICAN decided to take the advocacy programme to the women in their communities so that they will be sensitized about the issues and to feel a sense of belonging.

On the enforcement of the law against gender violence, she said that women groups have cried out to government to take more proactive measures to address the menace by enacting laws that provide stiffer penalties for offenders.

She said: “We want the government to help us in this direction and give women more opportunity to be heard,” adding that “Most of the cases of gender violence or domestic violence occur due to societal silence and the fact that most of the victims who are women and girls could not speak out on time.”

She also noted: “Most women have fallen victim of the domestic violence due to silence. Government should take women issues more serious and provide them opportunity to express themselves.

“Also, we believe that government can review the law to provide for more stringent sanctions against perpetrators of domestic violence and rape of our innocent female folks”

Women Fellowship leader of the ECWA Good News Church, Mrs. Grace Yusufu said that sensitization programme is a welcome development because gender-based violence is very common today.

She said that most often it is ignorance and poor parental upbringing that fuels cases of violence against women and the girl-child by their male counterparts.

“As a woman leader, I know how many women i have had to talk to and help address their complains. This is coming at the right time to create awareness and to ensure that our women get the information on what they need to do prevent it,” she said.

She said that one key solution to the problem of domestic violence and rape perpetrated against women and girls is awareness and education.

She added that more and more women need to be economically empowered so that they can surmount present economic difficulties and be assertive about their rights.

Also speaking at the event, Chief of Lugbe, Damlami Shetta, said that the way young people contract marriages nowadays without proper guidance leads to conflicts in their homes.

The community leader said that they usually refer most of the reported cases of domestic violence or rape to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and security agencies for investigation and prosecution.

On his part, representative of the Hausa community in Lugbe, Mallam Musa condemned gender violence as very dangerous in our society.

He welcomed the sensitization effort as an exercise that will help reduce the rampant cases of violence against women and girls in the area.