The International Training Research and Advocacy Project (ITRAP) in Cross River says
it will prosecute parents of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) survivors who refuse to pursue case in court.
The Executive Director of the project, Dr MacFarlane Ejah, disclosed this at a sensitisation workshop organised by
the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) in Calabar on Thursday.
The workshop is to address issues of discriminatory laws and practices affecting women and children in the country.
Ejah said although the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law has been domesticated in Cross River,
GBV, especially against women and children, is increasing.
According to him, this is so because a lot of people are either ignorant of the law or are refusing to follow up
cases in court against perpetrators.
He added that “a sad dimension that is developing in our society today is the unwillingness of survivors’ guardians
to take up prosecution against GBV perpetrators due to one ulterior motive or the other.
“This is encouraging perpetrators, so, we will prosecute such parents, especially if the survivor is a child because
we not only desire the best interest of the child, we also want to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book.
“One rapist who is not addressed has the tendency of raping 10 other people; this is why we should all be
careful and assertive.”
On her part, Ms Nneka Elonu, an Assistant Director with NCWD, said the centre was going round to sensitise
Nigerians about some of the harmful and discriminatory laws and practices that endanger the lives of women.
Elonu said that the centre believes that with the right stakeholders, the messages would get to the grassroots where many of
these violence occur but are not reported.
“We have many laws that protect persons but these laws are either not obeyed or implemented and so perpetrators of GBV go scot-free.
“We are also saying harmful practices perpetrated against women in the name of culture and tradition must stop and the girl-child
be given equal opportunities as the boy child,” she noted.
Mr Desmond Osemhenjie, the Programme Manager, UN Women, said some of the harmful practices against women such as battering,
witchcraft branding, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), could be reduced if women were empowered.
Osemhenjie said economic, educational and political empowerment of women was important to fighting GBV, adding that
most victims of violence were the poor, uneducated and powerless.
In his remarks, Sir Frank Edet, the Publicity and Media Chief of the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, urged traditional rulers
to intensify efforts toward abolishing every obnoxious cultural practice detrimental to the people.
Edet noted with disappointment that in spite of massive sensitisation, some traditional rulers and even educated people have refused to change.
He appealed to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and governments at all levels to keep data to enable people see the effects of harmful
cultural practices such as FGM to the society. (NAN)
