By Femi Mustapha
The Executive Director, Gender Awareness Trust(GAT), Dr. Lydia Umar has urged residents in Kaduna to stop sweeping gender-based violence under carpet, rather report it to the relevant authorities.
Dr. Umar who was speaking during the Evaluation meeting with committees of GAT, a program supported by UN Women, in Kaduna said, research have shown prevalence of Violence against Women, the High stigma and under reporting of such issue as a problem that women in Nigeria have to speak out.
She lamented that 30% of girls and women in Nigeria have experienced one form of Gender-based violence to another between the age of 19 and 49.
Dr. Umar stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic escabated the situation and serve to highlight the depth of the problem.
She said in view of the rampant cases of Sexual gender based violence, her organization has put a structure on ground, with Ten women drawn from, Kachia, Kajuru, Kaduna North and Zaria Local government areas to advocate and Monitor the implementation of Kaduna State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition)( VAPP) Law.
She said the forty Women are to go to the grassroot to dessiminate the content of the VAPP Law to traditional rulers, Religious leader, women group, Security agents and co-operative Society.
She explained that a lot of the perpetrators and victims of Gender- based violence are not aware of the punishment, likewise rights, as enshrined in the VAPP Law, noting that the sooner people are aware of the punishment of such act, they will decease from it.
She however said the greatest concern is not reporting Gender-based violence to the appropriate authority.
One of the women from Kaduna North, Martha Audu, said she personally distributed the VAPP Law to women- group in her Church.
Similarly, the women leader from Zaria, said, they distributed the VAPP Law to Vigilantes group and Islamic organization in their areas of jurisdiction.
“I stress to the group that ignorant of the law is not an excuse, so if you go ahead and commit sexual gender based violence, the VAPP Law is there for you, so be warned”.