By Martha Nyam
Jos, – ) An NGO, Women for Women International-Nigeria (WfWI-N), has called on journalists to support the ongoing efforts toward tackling the spate of violence against women in the society.
Mrs Bukola Onyishi, the Country Director of the organisation, made the call at a media parley on Thursday in Jos.
Onyishi, represented by Mrs Anthonia Olieh, Social Empowerment Manager, decried the various forms of violence women and girls faced in the communities, insisting that the media had key roles to play toward curbing the menace.
“Global statistics show that in most recent times, a woman or girl is killed by someone in her own family.
“This is alarming, frightening and crazy; sadly, one in every five women still face sexual or physical violence or both,” she decried.
Onyishi said that the parley was one of the activities to mark the annual international campaign tagged ”16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence”.
She explained that the parley was to equip journalists with necessary data to enable them to create more awareness and sensitise the public to violence against women and girls.
”This parley also seeks to advocate for the strengthening of protection mechanisms to prevent and eliminate violence, harassment, threats and others against women by human rights defenders.
”We believe that the media plays critical role in shaping the society, so we are here to brainstorm and come up with ideas on how we can elminate this cankerworm from our society,” she added.
Earlier, Mrs Zainab Gbobaniyi, the Advocacy Coordinator of the organisation, said that in Nigeria, violence against women was often rooted in widely accepted harmful social norms and practices that contributed to gender inequality.
Gbobaniyi said more than 21 per cent of women faced physical and/or sexual violence from their partners, adding that one in every five women endured female genital mutilation, particularly in the southern part of Nigeria.
”In addition to intimate partner violence, violence against women also occurs on a
spectrum and includes physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, threats, coercion.
”It takes away someone’s right to make decisions and economic deprivation – both inside and outside of the home.
”These forms of violence are intimately linked with women’s overall wellbeing, including physical and mental health, financial security and capacity to participate in their community and society,” she said.
Gbobaniyi disclosed that in the last 21 years of existence, WfWI-N had reached and supported more than 76,000 women
and trained 11,500 men on the effects of GBV in the society.
She advocated for the inclusion of women and their priorities on the implementation of national protection and rights-based frameworks on COVID-19 recovery plan by Nigeria, adding that it would address the harmful social norms perpetuating violence against women. (NAN)
