TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY WIFE OF THE ABIA STATE GOVERNOR MRS. NKECHI IKPEAZU DURING THE FLAG OFF OF THE MARCH AGAINST GENDER BASED VIOLENCE HELD IN UMUAHIA ON WEDNESDAY 24TH JULY 2019.
PROTOCOLS.
It is my pleasure to welcome all of you once again to this event.
I want to sincerely thank the participants who made this event a success by joining us to walk around the streets and raise awareness against gender based violence.
I thank the National Council of Women Societies, the Vicar Hope Foundation, and Each one Aid One Foundation for sponsoring this event.
I also thank Mr. Governor for his support for this event and for standing against abuse of women.
This is not the first time that we are speaking against women and child abuse, as well as gender based violence.
About this time last year, we embarked on advocacy visits to the governor, the House of Assembly, the Chief Judge and the police commissioner to press home the need for speedy justice for rights offenders to serve as deterrent to others.
As is typical with human failing, more incidences of violence and abuse are coming up. It is why we need to tackle this monster with all that we have got.
Abuses and violence appear in different forms. Permit me to list some of them.
There is physical violence*sexual violence*psychological violence*economic violence*rape*domestic violence*sexual harassment* reproductive coercion * female infanticide *prenatal sex selection * obstetric violence*honor killings*dowry violence*female genital mutilation*marriage by abduction*forced marriage *war rape * sexual slavery * forced sterilization * forced abortion*violence by the police * stoning and flogging * mob action * trafficking in women*forced prostitution, to mention but a few.
These manifestations are what bring shame to society.
On a daily basis, we are inundated with cases of defilement (of even babies of six months old), rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment and murders of women and children. It is also worrisome that women and children with special needs have also become targets of sexual violence.
We note with concern that in spite of the existence of laws at the federal level such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015 as well as legislations at State level to protect the well-being of women and children, perpetrators continue their despicable acts with impunity.
On the rare occasions when incidences of rape are reported, victims are intimidated and shamed into silence. We empathize with survivors of these sadistic acts and urge them to be courageous in speaking up and confronting the monster. We are aware of the emotional and physical pain that you go through and assure you that as individuals and as a group, we are committed to pressing for a social and behavioral changes that will lead to safer lives for everyone.
I want to use this occasion to call on the state House of Assembly to rise to the occasion and pass the following bills
1. A Bill for a Law to Prohibit all forms of violence against persons”
2. “A Bill for a Law to Abolish harmful and Obnoxious Widowhood Practices in Abia”
3. A Bill for a Law for Equal Rights and Opportunities for Men, Women and Special Persons in Abia State.”
I also call on the Governor, the judiciary and the police to fast-track the trial of persons who who have raped, defiled or abused women and children. I plead with all political, religious and community leaders to speak up against the abuse of women and children as this is an important first step to finding lasting solutions. I encourage civil society organisations and women’s support groups to continue to advocate on behalf of victims as well as provide all relevant services.
The public also has a role to play in addressing this issue by supporting victims to get justice and breaking the culture of silence and stigma which prevents victims from coming forward.
I use this opportunity to call on government to expedite the completion of half-way home and to introduce and reinforce restitution programmes for victims of abuse and violence.
I wish to make a pledge on behalf of Vicar Hope Foundation that before the end of this year, we will publish a compendium of laws, statutes and treaties on the rights of women and children for distribution to women folk free of charge. We will publish it in English and Vernacular so that our people in the rural areas can be able to read and know their rights.
Two, we will hold a stakeholders’ workshop before the end of this year where we hope to harness and fuse all our energies to chart a concrete pathway to curbing gender based violence in our state. Already, the Governor has pledged to support the event. We will bring together the executive arm of government, the house of assembly members, the judiciary, the media, security agencies, civil society organizations, human rights groups, traditional rulers, church leaders, community leaders, and other NGOs will sit down to discuss practicable strategies of eliminating women and child right abuses from our state.
Finally, I thank the guest lecturer Ms Oluchi and all of you who have in one way contributed to the success of this event.
May God lead us safely back to our bases.