Three nongovernmental organizations, Neighbourhood Care-Well Foundation, Child Care Adolescent Protection Initiative and Gender and Development Action Initiative have called on the Cross River State Governor, Sir Prof. Ben Ayade to, as a matter urgency declare a state of emergency on sexual and gender based violence in the state, describing it as a pandemic.
In a joint press conference on Friday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, the Executive Director, Neighbourhood Care-Well Foundation, Pastor Emah Emah, Executive Director, Gender and Development Action, Mrs. Franca Effiom and Evelyn Oti, Chief Executive Officer, Child Care and Adolescent Protection Initiative said the call became necessary following recent upsurge in cases of sexual and gender based violence in state and the country.
"Cross River State and other parts of Nigeria have witnessed an upsurge in the cases of sexual and gender-based violence. This upsurge in cases of rape, battery and even child marriage is gradually gaining acceptance as a normal part of what is a woman or girl.
"In Nigeria, 1 in 4 girls will be sexually assaulted before the age of 18. Gender based violence is no longer a woman's issue but a national issue".
The release which was read by Pastor Emah decried the increased cases of rape, especially against women.
Her words: " Female minors are not spared as within the last one month in Cross River, we have recorded cases of a 4 year old girl raped by her grand uncle, a 73 year old retired army captain, an 11 year old raped by a 38 year old neighbour, a 12 year old raped repeatedly, pregnant and made to undergo unsafe abortion and several other rape incidences not officially reported by the media.
"Women and girls live in a state of constant vigilance and fear of being raped, violated or assaulted in their homes, places of worship, schools, markets. Gender based violence is a crisis and a shadow pandemic that demands an urgent, effective and comprehensive response".
Pastor Emah also called on the government to respond to these cases the way it is responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
She added that women and girls in the country needs more than promises, calling on the state to immediately declare a state of emergency on the increasing scourge of rape.
" We therefore call on the Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade to declare rape in Cross River State a pandemic that is taking more lives than Covid-19 in the state and should be treated with utmost urgency ".
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