Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun has said the state government will not shy away from prosecuting perpetrators of Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV).
The commissioner who disclosed this during a day stakeholders sensitization meeting on SGBV and COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project (CoPREP) in Ibadan, reiterated that under the existing laws in the state, there is no hidden place for perpetrators of such preposterous acts.
Balogun noted that Violence Against Person Prohibition Law (VAPP), Sexual and Gender Based Agency/Referral Centre Laws have been signed into law, hence perpetrators of SGBV in the state are punishable under these existing laws.
The commissioner explained, “As policymakers, we should not be onlookers but social architects striving for systemic change to ensure that all perpetrators are held accountable through fair and effective legal systems, regardless of their social status or position of power.
“It is our collective responsibility to brainstorm against future outbreaks of COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious and communicable diseases as well as preparedness plan from the perspective of sexual and gender based violence,” she added.
