The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), has called for a more proactive action to end the pandemic of gender based violence against women and girls.
The Executive Director, CHRICED, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi said this after a demonstration of the day to mark the world #16DaysofActivism in Abuja on Friday.
The day was to galvanise action towards ending all forms of violence and discrimination against women.
He said that the civil society is working hard to raise awareness about how women could avoid becoming victims of aggressors who unleash violence against them.
According to him, the Nigerian State must wake up to its responsibility of protecting the lives of vulnerable and marginalised groups, particularly women.
“The recent gruesome killing of a state women leader of the Labour Party in Kaduna State exemplifies this wave of violence against women in the political process.
“CHRICED strongly condemns this killing and calls on law enforcement agencies to get to the root of this murder, apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
“As a front-line human rights think tank, CHRICED is in close touch with thousands of women who bear the brunt of all shades of violence, which violate their rights.
“Such violence also impedes their potentials and prevents them from using their talents to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“Through various initiatives, CHRICED and its partners have been able to contribute to addressing scores of cases, especially cases of rape, domestic violence, abandonment, and discrimination against women,” he said.
Zikirullahi, however, said that notwithstanding the milestones recorded by CHRICED and other CSOs, major challenges remained in the area of getting justice for women whose rights were violated by aggressors.
He added that women who are victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) are frequently subjected to dehumanisation and derogatory profiling.
He, therefore, called on the government and governance actors to give meaning and life to the words enshrined in the nation’s constitution, as well as the provisions against gender-based violence in all other extant laws and international instruments.
“This is a clarion call to institutions such as the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministries and Departments charged with Women Affairs at the Federal, State, and Local Government levels.
“It is also a call to the National Human Rights Commission, the courts, and all other agencies concerned to develop and implement policies and laws to end violence and discrimination against women in Nigeria. (NAN)
