Violence Against Women Has Reached Damaging Heights - Iryn Omorogiuwa

The Edo State Chapter of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, joins the rest of the World  to mark United Nations 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (25th Nov. to 10th Dec. 2018). The theme for this year's International  Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls is; Orange the World:#HearMeToo.

The Chairperson Iryn Omorogiuwa stated that over the years  all forms of violence against women girls have been at play but now it has reached damaging heights as worldwide records show that one in every three women worldwide experiences gender based violence.

Sexual violence,trafficking of the female gender, female genital mutilation, inhuman treatment of widows,harmful tradition practices, forced child marriages are all forms of gender based violence.

She further explained that gender based violence has become a global pandemic and a moral affront to all women and girls. 

She decried the fact that most acts of violence against women and girls are largely unreported due to the impunity of the perpetrators,silence and fear of victims due to the stigma and shame from the society.

The Edo State FIDA Chairperson stated that the theme of this year's Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls campaign is aimed at calling upon victims to speak out and be heard.She further asked all persons to listen to and believe victims and survivors and she called upon all persons to end the culture of silencing survivors  but instead put the survivors at the centre of the response. The focus must change from questioning the credibility of the victim, to pursuing the accountability of the perpetrator.

She further called upon the Commissioner  of Police Edo State to establish specialised victim support desks in all police stations within Edo state to help attend to survivors of such gender based violence.

She further called on the Edo State lawmakers to expedite actions to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act into  law which would serve as a veritable tool to protect women and girls against violence.