The wife of Abia Governor, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu has frowned at the rate rape and violence against women and the girl child are escalating in our society today and called for immediate action to end the menace.
The Governor’s wife who was represented by the Vice President, Vicar Hope Foundation, Dr. Edith Nwosu, in a rally by the National Human Rights Commission, Federation of International Women Lawyers, National Council of Women Society and the Girl Guides against gender based violence said that it is time for us to really take a critical look at what we are doing, beyond speaking up against rape, to actually acting collectively against rape.
According to her, “over the past several weeks, we have seen an increase in a global scale in sexual abuse and violence against women. Nigeria has seen a huge spike in the number of cases too, therefore this current phenomenon has been dubbed the shadow of epidemic, these acts are inhuman and barbaric and we join our voices to condemn them”.
“There are confirmed cases where communities and families elaborately cover up cases of abuse and violence, these actions she maintained most stop, if we are to drive down the numbers”
“At Vicar Hope Foundation, we have taken our actions beyond just talking to actually doing something about it ”
“We have championed several cases of abuse with the objective of getting justice, set up gender based violence rapid response desk with hotlines for victims to call for help and with collective efforts and partnership we will end the menace.
In her speech, the coordinator of National Human Rights Commission in Abia, Barr. Uchechi Nwokocha, said that anger and desperation inspired there protest noting that everyday we hear about cases of rape, violence against women and the girl child and yet the perpetrators go free, we are no longer keeping quiet, we are now demanding a separate court to prosecute the perpetrators of these heinous act.
While Barr. Chibuzo of Federation of International Women Lawyers was of the opinion that 717, reported cases of rape was outrageous and remind us of how geometric proportion rape has become, she called for all partners to come together and pressure the government to put an end to the incidence.
Meanwhile, the Assistant state commissioner of Girl Guides in Abia, Mrs. Ndidi Nwosu, stated that rape destroys the dignity and potentials of the girl child adding that most of the rape are done by the people we trusted therefore we should use every resources we have to put an end to it.
Contributing, the President of National Council on Women Society, Mrs. Eunice Nwigwe, we are involving the authorities to act fast to implement the laws while we educates our girl child.
