BY JOY YESUFU, Abuja
The chairperson, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Abuja branch, Mrs Rachael Adejo-Andrew has said victims of any form of violence, discrimination, threatened rights violation or abuse in Gwagwalada area council shall henceforth get free legal services for the redress of such violations and abuses.
Mrs Andrew stated this at the FCT high court Gwagwalada Abuja during the inauguration ceremony of FIDA Gwagwalada Centre.
She further said the Gwagwalada center of FIDA is not autonomous but a creation of convenience and accessibility to members of the public in Gwagwalada and shall for the time being an integral part of the FIDA (Nigeria) Abuja Branch
She also said the vision of FIDA Nigeria is to have a just, peaceful and equitable Nigerian Society where women and children’s rights and interests are guaranteed in which they have the freedom to choose and live their own future. “Closely related to this is our mission and main objective which is to promote, protect and preserve the rights, interests and wellbeing of women and children through the use of legal framework to ensure that they live free from all forms of discrimination, violence and abuse in the society” she noted
“Accordingly, in order to achieve our vision, mission and objectives, we have over the years deployed strategies such as free legal services to women and children, counselling, advocacy, campaigns, workshops, seminars, press conferences, litigation and mediation, sensitization and awareness campaigns of rights and relevant laws such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act.
“Our most recent tool is the training of community paralegals who hopefully shall serve as vanguard between the community and FIDA in cases of threatened violation of rights and abuses. Interestingly, this particular programme is ongoing in all the 774 Local Government Areas of the Country including the six (6) Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.
“We are all stakeholders and accordingly should collaborate to ensure that women and children are free from all forms of discrimination, violence and abuse in our society realizing that happiness of the home and the strength of our society depend on the wellbeing of women and children”
In her remark, Country Vice President, FIDA Nigeria, Rhoda Tyoden said women lawyers wants to take a stand in ensuring justice is served to the vulnerable population in communities as the true test of justice in a society lies not on the number of people with access to justice but on the many who have little or no access to justice due to their vulnerabilities.
“Therefore it is important for us to empower the weak and marginalized to seek response and remedies for injustice, to improve legal protection, legal awareness, provide legal aid and address the challenges in the justice sector that works against the vulnerable” she added.
