By Amaka madu
Human Rights Commission Anambra State has called on Religious leaders and Guardians to be in the vanguard of advocating for sustained sensitization against Gender Based Violence against Women and Children in the state. The State Coordinator, Barr Obinna Maduforo emphasized on this during a round table discussion to commemorate activities of the 16 Days Activism Against Gender Based Violence in Anambra
State. Barr Maduforo listed some of the recurring gender based violence in the state to include: domestic violence, sexual violence, harmful traditional practices, human trafficking, amongst others. He further enumerated factors that drive this gender based violence as cultural norms, economic dependancy, weak legal enforcement etc. Also, he highlighted the need for the Civil Society and other stakeholders to go back to the drawing board and understand what gender based violence is in order to assist in nipping it in the bud as some of the men involved in it don’t really know that it’s a criminal offence to physically assault their wives.
Some of the civil society groups present at the event were unanimous in their submissions that fear of stigmatization, going to court, and religious beliefs pose a great threat in getting justice for victims. They lamented that the choice of always settling out of court hampers their efforts in getting real justice for victims and therefore projected for adequate sensitization through religious leaders, retraining of service providers, training of law enforcement agents, as well government’s commitment to building more rehabilitation centers across the senatorial zones which is more affordable for the people to adequately ensure provision of shelter for battered women and safe spaces for the abused. These they agreed will help to hasten rehabilitation for the victim. A communique was raise for the CSOs and NGOs to intensify grassroots campaigns that will educate communities on GBV and it’s consequences within the state.