As the general election draws nearer, Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, wife of Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, has called on the electorate to vote for women candidates in order to end gender-based violence in the country.
Akeredolu, who decried the high prevalence of gender-based violence in the state as well as in the country, noted if women were voted into elective offices, particularly in the national and state assemblies, they would be able to represent the interests of women and girls.
She stated this during the flag-off of the 16 Days of Activities Against Gender-based Violence. The programme was tagged ‘United activism to end violence against women.’
The governor’s wife said, “When a young girl is violated, it could be very painful to parents. Let us groom our girls and our daughters for them to be aware of the issues and on how to prevent such from happening to them. Crimes against women and girls is the worst crime that anyone can commit.
“We have to be deliberate on the fight against gender-based violence. That is why you have to vote women into offices in order to represent the interest of the women and girls. Groom your women to represent you at the state assemblies.
According to her , Ondo has been blazing the trail in the fight against gender-based violence with the establishment of the State Agency Against Gender-based Violence and the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill into law.
“The beauty of Ondo State is that there is an agency that everyone can work with. The agency has gone far to sensitise all the stakeholders involved. One of the ways of combating this menace is provision of shelter. What most women do is that they endure and pretend that all is well. So for those that have the courage to leave, we should be able to accommodate them.
“Some of the underline factors of gender-based violence should be looked into. How do we raise our boys? Let’s start to see our daughters as worthy. Your daughters are more more worthy than being married. Also, female genital mutilation should be looked into in order to eradicate it totally,” Mrs Akeredolu advocated .
She also called on victims of gender-based violence not to hide nor be ashamed but to speak out and report the perpetrators, saying for the victims to keep quiet always emboldened perpetrators to further engage in the ugly act.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Gender, Mrs Olumide Falana, charged the people to involve themselves in stemming the tide of gender based violence across board. She noted the state had been proactive in providing succor to victims, revealing that many of them have been rescued and catered for.
The Executive Secretary of the OSAA-GBV, Bolanle Afolabi, pointed out that the gender-based violence had continue to be a problem in Nigeria and across the world.
“It is important that we do all we can to ensure that we eliminate gender-based violence in our society. It affects members of family of survivors. It affects all the sectors of the society.
“There is the need that gender-based violence is put an end to, in order to achieve a healthy society. Women cannot do it alone, so the men must be involved,” she charged.
