The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday said cases of gender-based violence in Cross River and Ebonyi states is the highest in Nigeria.
UNICEF communication specialist, Enugu field office, Mrs. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe, disclosed this in a two-day media engagement dialogue on ending violence against women and girls organised by National Orientation Agency (NOA), Ebonyi state with support from European Union-United Nations (EU-UN) spotlight initiative in Enugu.
Mrs. onuoha-Ogwe lamented how coronavirus pandemic is turning more women and girls into victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the country.
She however, called for amendment of some sections of Nigerian Constitution to help tackle the phenomenon and bring expected end to it.
Her words: “Cross River and Ebonyi states have cases of GBV very high not that it is not happening in other parts of the country or elsewhere in the world but it has become pertinent that spotlight initiative in collaboration with National Orientation Agency, Ebonyi state bring this to the fore so that it is being looked into”.
A resource person at the event, Dr. Chidi Ezinwa, of the Department of Mass Communication, Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT) who spoke on child right reporting and ethical response from the media, called for review of Evidence Act which he said was outdated and giving room for rapists to escape justice.
“When we look at our laws as it is now, for instance, the Evidence Act requires collaboration. Collaboration means that there must be an evidence of another party that witnessed a rape. Does it mean that rape has become a party that when you want to rape someone, you invite people to come and witness it? So, such law should be reviewed”.
0 Comments