The wife of the Cross River State Governor, Bishop Eyoawan Otu, has encouraged women to keep thriving in their various fields by finding a supportive network and celebrating their achievements and progress.
Bishop Otu gave the encouragement in Calabar during the flag off of this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.
According to her, economic independence gives women a greater chance to leave violent situations and also contributes to overall family and community stability.
As part of efforts to curb GBV, the wife of the Governor, Bishop who was represented by her Special Adviser on Programmes, Apostle Queen Eton, believed that with economic empowerment and education, women are better equipped to challenge the entrenched ideologies and cultural norms that promote male domination and condone violence.
She advised women to believe in their abilities, set clear goals and work towards achieving them, urging them not to engage in activities that would jeopardize their mental health.
”There is a great need for us to protect our women, there is a great need for us to protect our girls. To to this end, we must build a brand for our women to thrive and stay away from temptation and stay away from violence.
The Cross River State Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs. Edema Irom said the ministry organized a Road Walk to educate residents on the dangers of gender-based violence.
”It is a wake up call, it is a time where State Actors and Non-State Actors must join forces to fight Gender-based Violence,” the Commissioner said. “Gender-based Violence comes in many forms. Let me also inform us that there is political violence against women.”
The Commissioner, however, decried that despite the awareness programmes on gender-based violence, factors such as weak enforcement of laws, firmly established patriarchy, as well as limited access to justice and support services for survivors, have continually been a hindrance.
”Thirty years after the Beijing platform declaration where are we in Nigeria, three percent, Nigeria is a signatory to almost every international treaty but we have a challenge, Implementation. Many perpetrators still walk free while survivors endure stigma, trauma and disrupted schooling. The ministry continues to see cases where young girls are unable to return to class after rape because of shame and lack of institutional support.
”Over 100 GBV-related cases are currently before the courts, though progress remains slow. Limited logistics and poor funding often weaken investigations and delay justice,” she regretted.
The commissioner also highlighted GBV concerns in cocoa-producing communities and large plantations, where minors are used as cheap labour. She described such exploitation as “a form of gender-based violence that must be tackled.”
On her part, the State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Comrade Rekpene Uket, reiterated the importance of amplifying the voices of marginalized women by speaking out against Gender-Based Violence.
”There is so much violence going on in the digital space, so we are amplifying the voices of women that all of us should join together and put an to end to digital violence against women “
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign that starts on November 25 with International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends on December 10 with Human Rights Day.
The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness about Gender Based Violence, GBV, reinforce response systems as well as foster collective action to end violence against women and girls
Behind every statistic lies the story of a woman or girl whose health, safety, and rights have been violated.
Stakeholders call for the implementation of government policies that hold perpetrators accountable and ensure support systems are in place, especially for marginalized groups and in emergencies.
