Senate To Fight Gender Violence With 5 Bills As Women Hold Rally

The senate has promised to fight violence against women through the passage of about five bills that are before the National Assembly.

This information came as many women including civil society organisations yesterday gathered at the Unity Fountain, the Eagle Square and other parts of Abuja, raising awareness against Gender Based Violence (GBV). 

But the senate, through the committee chairman on women affairs, Ireti Kingibe, said everyone must support the fight against GBV. 

Ireti, who is also representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the red chamber, said the ugly trend of violence against women must stop. 

Speaking to journalists during a “Walkathon,” in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Kingibe said women were the backbone of every nation.

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She expressed optimism that the gender bills that suffered setbacks during the 9th Assembly would be considered by the 10th Assembly.

According to her, legislators in the 10th Assembly are unanimous in condemning any form of violence in the country, particularly, GBV.

“Without any exaggeration, women are the backbone of this country. We are the backbone of any country. We are the backbone of the home. Can we survive with a broken backbone?

“Nigeria is a country that is lagging behind in all our human development indices 

“Therefore gender based violence must stop, and how will it stop? It is going to stop when there is proper reporting and proper consequence and collective responsibility, male and female. As you can see from the number of the organizations represented here, we have decided that women are going to unite to fight Gender Based Violence(GBV). 

Also, the Senate Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Affairs and former Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr Iparibo Harry Banigo, said women don’t want any form of violence or intimidation but would want to be the best they can, adding that the road walk was one of their ways of creating awareness and inviting the public to join in the fight.

Earlier, FCT Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs, Mrs Adedayo Benjamins Laniyi, appreciated women for coming out en-mass for the road walk, noting that it was a way of showing their preparedness to change the narrative which posits that women do not support other women.

The minister of women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, in her speech, asked Nigerians to protect the women.