The Global Peace Development (GPD), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has urged state governments yet to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 to do so without further delay to protect all persons from harm.
The Executive Director of the group, Mr Ebruke Esike, made the call in a statement on Thursday in Lafia to mark this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
The UN General Assembly designated Nov. 25 as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Resolution 54/134).
The premise of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subjected to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence against women.
According to Esike, it is no longer news that women’s rights have been the most abused and neglected in spite of campaigns to create awareness to end violence against women.
He, therefore, enjoined states who were yet to domesticate the VAPP Act 2015 to do so as a matter of urgency, while calling on states who domesticated the law to ensure implementation to protect the rights of all.
Esike also called for activation of proactive measures by all tiers of government to protect women from Gender-Based Violence (GBV);Â early marriage, Female Genital Mutilation, trafficking, rape, domestic violence, and sexual exploitation.
He quoted the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) figure as noting that approximately one in three women and girls worldwide experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.
He said “the VAPP Act was passed by the National Assembly in 2015 to eliminate all forms of violence against persons, provide maximum protection, effective remedies for victims, punishment for offenders and for other related matters.
“It is to serve as platform for protection of women and girls from all forms of GBV; forced early marriage, female genital mutilation, human trafficking, rape, domestic violence, and sexual exploitation.’’
Esike, however, noted that the system of crime and punishment was not enough to address GBV cases in the country and urged government at all levels to create systems and structures that would allow women and girls to live without fear of being molested.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the international day has “Orange the World: End Violence Against Women Now’’ as its theme for the year.
