Kaduna State commissioner for human services and social development, Hajiya Hafsat Baba has disclosed that the state has recorded over 300 cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) since the inception of Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai’s administration.
The commissioner stated this in Kaduna in her remarks yesterday at the official launch of Kaduna State Civil Society Coalition Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in commemoration of 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls.
Hajia Hafsat Baba who was represented by Hajia Maryam Mu’azu said, “Over 300 cases of GBV have being reported, we used to have underreported cases but now there is increase in reporting rate”.
“We are breaking the culture of silence because most times the cases happened between family members but we have broken that and people are more aware now. People are aware because of the work we are doing at the Sexual Assault Referral Centres where medical, legal, psychosocial and other services are being offered for the survivors of GBV.
“We have strengthen the referral pathways of reporting system, we have just established perpetrators/offenders register so that offenders will be published for people to know the perpetrators of GBV”.
The director, Centre for Gender Studies, Kaduna State University (KASU), Prof Hauwa’u Evelyn Yusuf said KASU has zero tolerance for SGVB. “KASU does not harbour anybody who engages in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. We fight against rape, homosexuality and every form of discrimination”.
