Stakeholders on child rights in Oyo state on Friday advocated inclusion of sex education in the country’s education system to curb the increasing wave of rape and other forms of sexual violence.
The stakeholders made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day annual Stakeholders Conference on Child Rights organised by Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), in Ibadan.
According to them, this became necessary in view of the fact that child exploitation, abuse and violence including rape is fast becoming a pandemic in and across the country which may soon have devastating effect on the society.
The stakeholders stressed that in addition to the inclusion of sex education in the school curriculum, there is also the need for stiffer punishments for offenders of any acts of violence against women and the child especially rape.
They also noted that “all forms of exploitation of children including child trafficking and labour, child sexual abuse, killings of women and children and issues of insecurity generally should be fought by all.”
The stakeholders pointed out that menace of child labour, child sexual abuse, insecurity and killings “can only be curbed by social protection, hence need for the enforcement and implementation of legal framework against child trafficking, labour and violence.”
