In a move to tackle prostitution and empower vulnerable women, the Bauchi State Shariah Commission has rehabilitated and equipped over 570 commercial sex workers with vocational skills and start-up capital to begin a new life.
The permanent commissioner of the Shariah Commission, Barr Aminu Balarabe Isa, disclosed this in an interview with reporters in his office yesterday.
He said the initiative was part of the commission’s drive to reintegrate “women of free virtue” into society through sustainable means of livelihood.
The commissioner said the women, drawn from various parts of the state, were trained in tailoring, hairdressing, beauty makeup and other income-generating trades.
Isa explained that although the commission initially considered marrying off the women, it later discovered that most of them turned to prostitution due to poverty and the struggle for survival.
“Instead of forcing marriage on them, we decided to address the root cause, poverty, by empowering them with skills and the means to earn a living,” he said.
He said the initiative was a shift from punitive to restorative justice within the framework of Islamic values and had been widely commended by stakeholders as a practical solution to a long-standing social challenge.
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