Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen on Tuesday, attributed the increasing cases of violence against women and girls in the country to inadequate and weak enforcement of law.
Tallen, stated this during the presentation of a report on the impact of Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Acts and related Laws in Nigeria presented by an international organisation, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) in Abuja.
According to her, the incidences of GBV in Nigeria, particularly in rural areas has become a developmental concern because of the grave consequences for the health and security of rural women and girls.
She said that GBV had also contributed to minimal participation of rural and urban women in all spheres of life, increased poverty and other related diseases.
“The incidence is exacerbated amongst others by inadequate and weak enforcement mechanism of relevant laws; lack of domestication of relevant laws at all levels, the inefficient handling of GBV issues by security personnel and others,”she said.
The minister, while commending WFD and other stakeholders, called on states yet to domesticate and implement the VAPP Act to do so in other to eliminate GBV and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“We will continue to appeal to the remaining States to do same to give credence to our demands for gender justice in the country.
“I wish to reiterate that the domestication of the VAPP Act will ensure the elimination of discriminatory practices in Nigeria as we together work toward the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),”she said.
Mr Adebowale Olorunmola, Country Chief, WFM said the VAPP Act will promote citizen participation in both formal and informal process, encourage women, youths, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) to be part of decision making that affects their everyday lives.
“The result will promote effective implementation of the VAPP and other laws in Nigeria to make the country safe and inclusive of women and girls,”he said.
Olorunmola, also stressed the need for an inclusive politics free from violence, which would encourage women to participate in electoral process.
“We need to work with stakeholders, political parties and their chieftains to ensure that the process is free of violence to enable citizens including women to participate as candidates to be elected and electorates to vote people of their choice,”he said.
He, therefore stressed the need for all stakeholders in the process of promoting inclusion of women to collaborate in the fight against GBV and the inclusion of women in the political process possible.
Also, Director General, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), Imaan Sulaiman – Ibrahim, said the agency has secured
over 600 convictions since the signing of the law in 2015.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim, who was represented by Director, Legal and Prosecution, Mr Hassan Tahir, further disclosed that the report findings will serve as guide on best practices, success and challenges that could be encountered in the implementation of the VAPP Act.
Presenting the report, the Lead Researcher, Mrs Bunmi Dipo-Salami, said the aim of the study was to assess the adoption, successes and challenges to the implementation of the VAPP Act which was enacted in 2015, as well as other anti-violence against women legislations.
Dipo-Salami said the research was undertaken in the FCT and selected states across the 6 geopolitical zones; Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Cross River, Edo, Enugu, Kaduna, Lagos, Osun, and Plateau.
“The report provides evidence from qualitative and quantitative data to understand the status of implementation, enabling factors, and limitations of the VAPP Act in states where it has been adopted.
She explained that the findings revealed significant improvement in the implementation of the VAPP Act and related laws because of greater awareness due to enlightenment activities carried out by different stakeholders.
The Lead Researcher, therefore called for collaboration among critical stakeholders and deliberate steps to ensure that Prosecutors and Counsels apply the VAPP law in charging cases of VAWG and not just the Penal Code.
“There must be a multi-prong approach to alleviate women’s poverty which was identified as one of the factors that heighten the vulnerability of women and girls to all forms of sexual and gender-based violence,”she said.
Other highlights of the day include: the unveiling of the report on the “Impact of the VAPP Act and related laws in Nigeria” by the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen.
