By Stella Edoka
The Deputy Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Mrs. Comfort Egwaba, has called for the strengthening of societal norms and legal frameworks to ensure a sustained and coordinated response to gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria.
Mrs. Egwaba made the call during a one-day stakeholder’s workshop on sustaining the fight against gender-based violence, organized by the Kogi State Ministry of Justice in collaboration with a non-governmental organization, Protect the Child Foundation, in Lokoja.
She emphasized the need for increased support for survivors and continuous sensitization campaigns to break the culture of silence surrounding gender-based violence, noting that such efforts are crucial for building a safer and more inclusive society.
In his remarks, the Kogi State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Muizudeen Yunusa, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Falilat Yusuf Musa, stressed that addressing gender-based violence requires collective commitment and decisive action.
He urged law enforcement agencies to treat GBV cases with urgency and compassion, while calling on civil society organizations to intensify advocacy and provide stronger support systems for survivors.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of Protect the Child Foundation, Mrs. Elizabeth Achimugu, identified poverty as one of the major drivers of gender-based violence and underscored the need for the empowerment of the girl-child as a vital strategy to curb the menace.
Mrs. Achimugu further highlighted the importance of community engagement and public enlightenment, lamenting that despite the existence of laws against GBV, enforcement remains weak,especially in rural communities where awareness was still limited.
Edited by Ajifa Ainoko
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