…. Says, Response To Campaigns Is Rewarding
By Udeme Hosea
The Akwa Ibom State Gender Based Violence Management Committee has announced that preparation is in top gear to flag off the 2024 16 Days Of Activism slated for Monday 25th November – 10th December 2024 , with road carnival flout from Ibom plaza to Ibom Hall, venue for the opening ceremony.
(m)Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Gender Based Violence Committee, Barr Emem Ette with media partners .
The Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State Gender Based Violence Committee, Barr Emem Ette who disclosed this in Uyo, on Friday in a media chat with newsmen ahead of the 16 days of activism, hinted that, 2024 days of activism will focus on sensitization on parental negligence, child abandonment, spousal battery, trafficking and forceful ejection , noting that, negligence by parents leads to trafficking.
“Parental negligence, child abandonment, especially negligence are to be brought to the front burner during the period”.
Barr Emem Ette at the briefing
Barr Ette, further expressed satisfaction with the positive outcome the campaigns against Gender Based Violence has yield in the state, informed that, the state government adopted multiple approach in tackling the menace through involving the traditional leaders, religious leaders, community leaders, forming coalition of government and non governmental organizations to tackle the menace which response are rewarding.
“What has helped a lot is the formation of a coalition involving key stakeholders and we have Gender Based Violence coordinators in all the local government areas of the state”.
While commending the grass root generals for their active involvement in responding to issues of Gender Based Violence, she hinted that, the state government has mechanism to handle both the perpetrators and victims welfare with response unit in all the Local Government Areas of the State.
“We have Gender Based Violence Response unit in all the Local Government Areas, we also have a place where victims can stay, some of the victims were raped by their fathers and we also enroll them in school, the home is not for only Akwa Ibomites, the state government has done a lot to bring succor to these victims”.
Barr Ette, also announced that the state has recorded no fewer than 1324 cases of Gender Based Violence between January 2020 till November 2024, noted spousal battery and inflicting of injury as top cases handled by the committee in the last few years.
She however, advised parents to stop sending their under age children as housemaids or accept offers by relatives to train their children outside the state, especially as the Christmas season approaches, as some children are trafficked for prostitution, human harvesting and child labour outside the state, appealed to the law enforcement officers to intensify efforts in checkmating the menace in motor parks and airports.