KADUNA – The National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), on Monday said it would partner with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) to mount aggressive campaign against rape in Nigeria.
Vice-President of NAWOJ, Zone A, Hajiya Zainab Rabo said during a familiarisation meeting with officials of Kaduna State chapter of the association.
Rabo said that NAWOJ would continue to fight all forms of violence against women and children in the country, adding that the partnership was to ensure that rapists were duly prosecuted.
“We should all rise against the menace and apply all means to stop the attitude of perpetrators.
“This issue of rape is alarming and I want people in government to put themselves in the shoes of the parents and affected girls.
“Let us all appeal to them to, for the sake of the parents and the children, formulate and implement stiffer penalties for perpetrators.
“For us in NAWOJ, we are going to partner with FIDA to see what we can do in order to collectively fight this cause, which we believe is just, “she said.
The NAWOJ zonal officer also said awareness on girl-child education in the north was low in spite of sound policies, including free education.
“The problem we have in Northern Nigeria is that of girl-child education. Each part of the country has its own share of challenges when it comes to education.
“Most of the northern governors have made education free, but the problem we are facing is that of implementation.
“NAWOJ is, therefore, calling on concerned governors to implement the policy on free girl-child education.
“On our part, we want to embark on an aggressive campaign to let them know that education is not a privilege, but a right.”
She said that NAWOJ would sensitise parents on the importance of girl-child education.
“We also discovered that because they don’t know why education is important, parents prefer to allow their daughters to hawk goods on the street or be used as domestic servant.” (NAN)
