A non-governmental organization, Global Peace Development, has called on the executive, legislative and judiciary arms of government to do everything within its powers to ensure that Nigerian women are protected from domestic violence.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Thursday in Lafia to mark the 2021 International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women, Executive Director of GPD, Ebruke Esike, explained that women’s rights has been the most abused and neglected despite several campaign launched to create awareness on such practices.
He called on State Legislatures that were yet to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act 2015, and state governments that have domesticated but yet to implement the VAPP law to, with utmost urgency, pass and implement the law in their respective states in order to give succor to so many Nigerian women suffering from Domestic Violence.
Esike noted that the system of punishment for offenders currently being practiced was not enough to address the grave predicament and called on government at all levels to take proactive measures to ensure that women and girls live a safe life devoid of exploitation, intimidation, and cultural impunity.
“The VAPP Act which was passed by the National Assembly in 2015 was intended to eliminate all forms of violence against persons, provide maximum protection, effective remedies for victims, punishment for offenders and for other related matters.
“It was to serve as a platform for protection of women and girls from all forms of Gender Base Violence such as; forced early marriage, female genital mutilation, human trafficking, rape, domestic violence, and sexual exploitation among others if sub-national domestication and implementation were activated and enabled by State Governments”, the statement read in part.
Our correspondent reports that, according to the United Nations Children Fund, approximately one in three women and girls worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.
