Women Groups Condemn Domestic Violence, Harmful Cultural Practices Against Women
Gender-based groups, the Women Aid Collective (WACOL) and Fifty-Fifty Action Women have again, raised their voices against gender-based violence and harmful cultural practices against women in Anambra State.
The women groups who made their feelings known In a town hall meeting supported by Ford Foundation, which held in Awka, Anambra State, expressed dismay at the rising cases of domestic violence as well as harmful cultural practices against women in communities.
The occasion attracted people from all walks of life including traditional rulers, church leaders, Town Union executives, youth’s organisations, students leadership, the physically challenged, government officials, the academia and the media.
In a welcome address, The Coordinator of WACOL, Prof Joy Ezeilo, represented by Egodi Igwe, said the essence of the town hall meeting was to seek the assistance of various groups to end the menace against women.
According to her, “Cultural practices against women is rising in Anambra. We are here for interaction to see how these can be stopped.
“We have various members of the society here, including; traditional rulers, town union presidents, youth leaders, women leaders and many others. We are here to hear everyone’s experience and see how we can stop them.”
Two university dons, Professors Ogugua Ikpeze and Chinyere Okunna from Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Paul University respectively, who lectured participants at the town hall meeting listed several types of violence against women.
Ikpeze in her presentation said: “The VAPP (Violence Against People Prohibition) law is fully operational in Anambra today. As I speak with you, the special offences court is operating in Anambra, and always sitting.
“I urge you to run away from imprisonment as a result of engaging in violence. The court is fully operational, you may be lucky to get away with fine, if you are brought before the court, but you have to know that once you pay fine, you’re an ex-convict, and this may deny you a lot of things, so you must be careful.”
Some types of violence against women listed included female genital mutilation, child marriage, male child preference, betrothal, widowhood practices, forced marriage, child labour, among others.
Several groups also gave suggestions on how such harmful practices against women could be stopped, and ways they could help to stop such practices in their various localities.
Traditional rulers who spoke including Igwe Christopher Okpala, of Akweze, that of Nibo, promised to help in curbing such menace in their communities .
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