By Friday Idachaba
Lokoja – Wife of Kogi governor, Mrs Rashidat Bello, has called for the domestication of the Gender and Equal Opportunity, and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bills for enforcement in the state.
Bello made the call at an advocacy meeting with stakeholders towards the domestication of gender sensitive laws in the state as part activities to mark the 2017 International Women’s Day on Thursday in Lokoja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the advocacy meeting was organised by Participation Initiative for Behavioural Change in Development (PIBCID) and Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) with support from ActionAid Nigeria.
She noted that the female folk “constituted a very important fraction of the human population”, but had been sidelined for too long with their rights often violated at will.
“It is my believe that the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill and Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill are a great leap but these bills have to be domesticated in Kogi State,” she assured.
Mrs Gift Owonipa, the Executive Director of PIBCID, in a paper titled: ”Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill as a Tool for Acceleration Gender Parity in Kogi State”, said in spite of all efforts at addressing gender issues, rights of women and children were still being trampled upon.
“It is disheartening to note that the rights of Nigerian women and by extension Kogi women are still being violated and women are still subjugated to different forms of violence, discrimination and harmful practices.
“What we are asking for is protection and equal opportunity when it comes to marriage, business, employments, politics and inheritance, among others. With these, our families, communities and state will prosper,’’ she said.
Owonipa called on Gov. Bello to urgently institute a gender audit to identify gaps and areas where gender equality can be strengthened in terms of recruitments, appointive positions and promotion in public and political offices.
The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Bolanle Amupitan, represented by Mrs Tessy Fadile, urged government to ensure enforcement of the state law on kidnapping as part of measures to address issues of security for women and children in the state.
Wife of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hajia Hadiza Imam, said gender-based issues were still rampant in the society especially in rural communities and urged women to come up with a holistic agenda to tackle the challenges.
Mr Victor Omofaiye, member representing Ijumu state constituency at the House of Assembly, also called on women to always support their fellow women aspirations, saying hitherto, women had been their own worst enemies rather than men.
Mrs Falilat Yusuf-Musa, FIDA Chairperson in the state, called for the emergence of a more gender-inclusive world, advising women to be bold and come together to address issues of injustice to women.