Abia : Mrs Ikpeazu Calls For An End To All Forms Of Gender-Based -Violence Against Women and Girls

By Steve Unegbu

Addressing Newsmen, during a press conference held at Vicar Hope Foundation (VHF) headquarter ,Abia state Secretariat, Umuahia, she suggested that both men and women to come together to raise consciousness and conversation to end all forms of gender-based violence .

The President of Vicar Hope Foundation, revealed that, ” At least one out of every women around the world has been coerced into sex or mutilated “

According to her,  ” it is a sad reality that on a daily basis, women and girls around the world are still experiencing sexual  harassment  ,violence and all forms of violence, despite all the long years of chanting for gender equality “

Mrs Ikpeazu, insisted that, women and girls are still  being raped, battered and girls are mutilated and married off as children.

The wife of the governor however,  disclosed that, both men and women experience gender-based violence, which according to her, its a phenomenon that is deeply rooted in gender inequality,while adding that,” with the current statistics ,it is obvious that women and girls are the major victims “

Deacones Nkechi Ikpeazu, who made this  disclosure during  the press conference to mark  the  16- days of Activism  Against Gender -Based -Violence, an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls, with this year 2019 theme as ‘ Orange the World :Generation Equality, Stands Against Rape’ , maintained that cases of rape has been on the high and   that violence against women and girls impair their productivity, by reducing their contributions to social, economic and political development of their families and communities.

Mrs Ikpeazu, outlined  some  forms of violence against women and girls to include, rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, genital mutilation, child related abuses, marriage by adoption, force marriage and child marriage,noting that the reason victims are less likely to report are fear of rejection, victim -blaming and stigmatization ,hence   their psychological effects continually left  imprints  on the minds of the victims,making them live beneath their potentials .

She appreciated the 7th Abia state House of Assembly, led by Rt Hon. Engr. Chinedum Orji for responding to their call to give accelerated hearing to the bill on the violence against persons, revealing that Vicar Hope Foundation and her partners, the  ministry of women Affairs, the FIDA, NCWS and other women organizations have joined hands and sustained actions to ensure the passage of the bill into Law.

She hinted that the 7th Assembly, is seriously working on the bill with a view to giving it a speedy  passage, saying that the Abia House of Assembly is committed to the protection of the lives and rights of people of Abia state and that Vicar Hope Foundation and her partners will continue to throw unreserved support behind those legislative processes and the legislatures.