Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Following the rising cases of sexual and gender-based violence in the country, a European Union-funded organisation, Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation, EU-ACT, has partnered with 200 civil society organisations to mitigate the menace in Rivers and nine other states across the country.
The group said the partnership was aimed at constructively engaging stakeholders in the onslaught against sexual and gender-based violence.
Speaking during a high-level stakeholder dialogue for the review of sexual and gender-based violence implementation mechanisms in Rivers State, the Focal Person, EU-ACT, Rivers State, Temple Oraeki, said the partnership would engender a more robust approach to ending the menace.
Oraeki said, “This dialogue session offers a crucial opportunity for us to strengthen our implementation mechanisms that will ultimately lead to a safer and more secure environment for all.
“This year’s theme is unique in the sense that it calls for proactive measures to stop Sexual Gender-Based Violence rather than being reactive after it has already happened. I am optimistic that today’s dialogue will result in actionable outcomes and concrete steps towards preventing SGBV and ultimately ensuring a safer future for women and girls in Rivers State.”
Also, the Coordinator, of Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children, Tombari Dumka-Kote, stated that his organisation had since 2019 handled over 3000 cases of sexual and gender-based violence in Rivers State, adding that it handled 183 cases in 2023.
Dumka-Kote also sought the expeditious handling of sexual and gender-based violence cases within three months and called for the establishment of special courts.
“So far our team has handled 3000 cases of sexual and gender-based violence between 2019 and till date. This year alone, we have recorded so far 183 cases of sexual and gender-based violence.
“While the incidents of sexual and gender-based violence especially as it relates to ritual killings and mutilations of body parts of victims and survivors alike are on the rise in the state.
“We feel that the justice system needs to improve upon where we have a special court has been created that is our prayer to the governor of Rivers State so that cases of sexual violence would be tried and ended within three months, it shouldn’t exceed that like what is done with political cases.
“That way access to justice would be easy for survivors and victims so prolonged cases which usually make survivors lose interest and their families lose interest in the justice system and our courts.”
On her part, the Executive Director, of TalkLove Africa Foundation, Cynthia Obinwanne, stated that the event was part of a 16-day activism programme against sexual and engender-benevolence against women and girls, an annual global civil society campaign.
Obinwanne said, “It is important to note that though many countries have passed laws to combat violence against women, an estimated number of 736 million women, which means almost 1 in three women have been subjected to either physical or other forms of violence.
“However, we strongly believe that violence against women and girls is preventable, hence the essence of this high-level stakeholders dialogue for the review of sexual and gender-based violence mechanisms in Rivers State.”