2-day WRAPA Workshop For South East Stakeholders On Need To Fight Violence Against Women And Girls Ends In Awka
Participants Express Resolve To Sustain Campaign To Check The Menace
By Monic Okechukwu
22/7/2024
Stakeholders from South East Zone converged in Awka, Anambra State capital, to further discuss ways to strengthen the fight against violence against women and girls which seems on the Increase despite all efforts geared towards checking the menace.
The workshop was organized by Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), supported by the Ford Foundation, on Building Violence Against Women and Girls Preventive (VAWG) Pathways for South East Region.
Speaking on the occasion, Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ify Obinabo, lamented the increasing rate of domestic or gender violence especially against women and children, disclosing that the present administration in the State has zero tolerance for such ills and has remained resolute in tackling the menace.
The Commissioner commended WRAPA for the initiative, urging them not to relent as women and girls need to be salvaged from the scourge to attain their potential.
She said, “Governor Soludo has demonstrated the political willpower to ensure that we no longer treat violence against women and girls as business as usual. No woman will be violated without consequences except we don’t know about it.
“This problem has been there all the while. The only difference is that we are out to fight it. Most of these people doing this in Anambra State are not even indigenes. It is a dangerous cartel. But, we are equally to the task”.
In her speech, WRAPA’s Director of Programme, Yemisi Nataniel, reminded participants of the need to redouble their efforts in fighting the long standing social ills.
“We invited you all because we know that you can do this. Please, approach this with the seriousness and commitment it deserves,“ she said.
In a welcome address, WRAPA Zonal Co-ordinator for South East and Coordinator Anambra State, Ugochi Ehiahuruike, expressed confidence that participants from the zone are ever ready to tackle the menace.
She asserted that given the position already taken by the Soludo administration through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, the gospel will be spread to all corners in the state and zone.
Ehiahuruike noted with delight that Anambra State Government has already taken the bull by the horns by creating a special court to handle matters relating to gender-based violence.
Her words; “We are here to talk about how to prevent violence against women and girls. In Anambra State, we’ve recorded more than 190 cases before the special court. Let’s work together to be the change we want to see”.
Speaking on behalf of the academia, Prof. Uchecollins Nwogwugwu of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, promised, “We are here to assist in any way to help the society move ahead. Most of our societal values had broken down. I will send the message write down to my university and department”.
The Acting Coordinator of
WRAPA, Enugu State, Virginia Obianyo, restated their determination to ensure that violence against women and girls is fought to a standstill, as according to her, they are, they are Committed towards achieving goals and objectives of WRAPA in Enugu State.
Contributing, WRAPA partner in Imo State, Jude Ohanele, established that there is link between violence against women and girls and poverty, noting that countries with low standard of living have more cases of violence against women and girls than countries with high standards of living
“There is a relationship between violence against women and girls and poverty. This is beyond women and girls, it has a link to governance and economy. It is not a mere coincidence that countries with the highest standards of living have the lowest level of violence. We need to free the women and girls for the society to progress. Fighting against violence is not for women and girls but for the progress of the state and the country”.
The Chairman, Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Anambra State, Ugochukwu Okeke, observed that people with disabilities are most hit by gender based violence and commended WRAPA for covering all interests including that of people with disabilities.
Okeke said; “You know that PWDs are the worst victims of any kind of violence you can think of and our involvement in this programme will help us to be part of solution”.
Delivering a lecture on “Strengthening Social Accountability Support Groups And Improving Grassroots Networks For Advocacy And Implementation, WRAPA Project Officer, Christiana Eguma, urged stakeholders especially partners and volunteers to use their platforms to advance the goals of the project to achieve desired results.
She said that they can do this by carrying the campaign to all nooks and crannies including schools, markets, palaces, religious centres and other gathering.
“We want this campaign to get to organic safe places such as palaces, and religious centres among others. We want to see volunteers using the WRAPA platform to push their passion in this fight.
“WRAPA is of the view that we must prevent violence. If the only thing we do is to respond to acts of violence, we will get tired. We acknowledge that CSOs are already doing something about violence against women and girls. But, we need to move away from response to prevention. Violence thrives because people have accepted it as a way of life,” Eguma concluded.
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