Today is International Day for the Elimination of violence against women.
The day was set aside by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993 to create awareness on violence against women in the society
Amaka Chibuzor Okoye who X-rayed the significance of the day reports that violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in the world today and remain largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.
Violence against women has continued to be an obstacle to achieving equality, development, peace as well as the fulfillment of women and girls human rights.
Lending her voice to the celebration, the Anambra State Commissioner for Children and Women Affairs, Lady Ndidi Mezue said that the state government through her ministry has carried the campaign of violence against women and girls to all the nook and crannies of the State, thereby curbing the menace and ensure that there’s no gender base violence, adding that the present administration has sustained the rights of women in all ramifications.
Lady Ndidi commended the Governor’s Wife Dr Ebelechukwu Obiano, for seeing to the plights of some vulnerable and indigent women through her pet project adding that they have waded into many issues concerning ugly treatment meted on some widows in the State.
How has the church worked for the elimination of violence against women and girls? The Vicar, Saint John’s Anglican Church, Okpuno, Reverend Canon Onyekachukwu Egwuonwu noted that through teachings and sermons, the church has educated the masses on how to live a better life as Christ did not discriminate against anybody and that the church is fully involved to ensure that women are not dehumanized under any guise.
For the State Coordinator of Violence Against Person’s Prohibition Implementation Committee, Ms Hope Okoye, in order to curb violence against women, the society should look into some of the culture, traditions and norms that negate the rights of the women, more especially that of inheritance and widowhood practices and to bring to book perpetrators of all ugly acts against women.
Also speaking, the wife of the State Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Lady Ogechukwu Okafor called on the judiciary and lawmakers to enact stiffer measures against those who abuse the rights of women.
The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘‘Orange the World: End Violence against women now’’