Gov Wada to endorse Gender, Equal Opportunities Bill soon – Commissioner

Gov. Idris Wada of Kogi is soon to assent to the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill has passed by the state House of Assembly to address gender-based violence in the state.Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State

Mrs Patience Mameh, the state commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development disclosed this on Wednesday in Lokoja.

Mameh was speaking at a consultative forum on “Elimination of Gender-Based Violence and Improved Safety and Public Services for Women and Girls” organised by the ActionAid Nigeria and Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) in collaboration with the Ministry.

She said that the governor had sent the bill back to the house for amendment of some clauses and would assent to it immediately the amendments were effected and the bill is sent back to him.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mallam Usman Jimoh, the commissioner said the United Nations did well by dedicating 16 days of activism from November, 25 against gender violence.

The period she said, provided individuals and groups, a chance to mobilise and call attention to the urgent need to end violence against women and girls.

She said gender-violence such as “Child-brides, women and girls trafficking as modern day slavery”, violation in the homes, female genital mutilation among others had attained crisis-point.

Mrs Christie Adejumo, representative of the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) at the occasion urged women to promptly report cases saying that FIDA members were ready to render free legal services (Pro-bono) for violated and abused women.

Speaking earlier, Coordinator of the forum, Mr Victor Adejoh said the programme aimed to provide a platform for women to brainstorm and proffer solutions apart from sensitising them on gender-based violence in the society.

Mr Titus Alonge of TEENSNET attributed the high rate of violence again women and girls to inadequate education among others and urged government and parents to take girl-child education more serious.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that goodwill messages poured in from Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Gender-Based and Civil society Organisations, Women in Agriculture, cfommunity based organisations and other womenb groups. (NAN)

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