European Union, United Nations, EU-UN spotlight initiative programme said that most survivors of harmful practices being done on girls and women ends up committing suicide.
Chairperson Child protection Network Cross River state James Ibor, disclosed this on Wednesday during a 3-day capacity building on child protection case management and community dialogue for Ezza South local government area end VAC/VAWG community surveillance team.
The program was organized by the state Ministry of Women Affairs and social development with support from EU-UN spotlight initiative.
Mr Ibor noted that a survey done in 2014 by Nigeria government in collaboration with development partners revealed that many survivors of sexual exploitation, abuse, FGM and other harmful practices ended up killing themselves or in a sorry situations.
He said, “I’m here at the instance of EU-UN spotlight initiative to facilitate a community dialogue for community surveillance system members, child protection Network structures and systems in Ebonyi state and for the last 3days we have been interacting with the members of the Nigerian Police, ministry of women affairs and other stakeholders in our communities primarily to discuss child protection concerns and how best you can keep Ebonyi child safe. How best you can implement the child protection Right law 2010 of Ebonyi state.
“The Nigerian government in collaboration with development partners carried out a survey in 2014 which was published same year and order similar survey in 2018, the report shows that the prevalence of child abuse, sexual violence, emotional violence and physical abuse is very high. For instance one in every four girls have suffered one form of sexual exploitation or the other, this is inspite of the fact that we have the Ebonyi state child right law 2010, remember this research was in 2014 , it showed clearly that we have to declare a state of emergency if we must keep a children safe.
“Some of the effect of child abuse, rape, sexual exploitation, FGM andso on from the research, the outcome have shown that many of the survivors commit suicide ,some suffered mental depression, many of them that survives become incapacitated mentally, they become incapacitated partially or permanently”.
Speaking, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Chinwe Okah, said that the state government violence against person’s prohibition law 2018 and the child right law of 2010 was put in place to prosecute anybody found culpable of violence against women and girls.
Mrs Okah warned traditional rulers, prime minister and other community leaders to henceforth stop the settlement of any case of violence, criminal in nature against women and children in their respective communities.
She enjoined them to always report such violent cases to her office for necessary action against the perpetrators, adding that the state government has resolved to prosecute any offender no matter who is involved.
The commissioner urged the participants to work assiduously towards ending Female Genital Mutilation, child marriage/teenage pregnancy, all obnoxious practices against women and children, among others in the state.
She commended the EU-UN Spotlight initiative, the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF and Others who are working towards ending violence against women and children in Ebonyi State.
One of the participants and prime minister, Chief Joseph Imo, from Echera community, Ezza South LGA said, “I’m so happy to have attended this program, we accept what government is saying, we don’t give our girl children in marriage at tender age but from 20 years and above. We no longer encourage female genital mutilation and we give serious warning to anyone who practices it.
“If anybody is caught in the act or any other acts against the female child, we will hand the person to government authorities to deal with him or her. Those things done in the olden days are no longer encouraged now”.
