The Sixteen Days of Activism End  Violence Against Women and Children was climaxed in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria in grand style.

It was multisectoral event,  bringing UN Women structures such as Women Mediation/Mentors, HeforShe,  Women Peace and Security Media Network, NGO, CSOs, Traditional and Religious as well as Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development together under one roof.

Organised by UN-Women, in Collaborations with Plateau State Ministry Of Women Affairs and Social Development with Support From Norwegain Embassy, the platform provided an opportunity for thought provoking discuss on to address issues of Gender-based Violence Against Women and Girls.

In the words of the Plateau State Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development,  Rebecca Sambo, “this is a moment for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to reclaim our streets and create a society that is safe and secure for women and children”.

The 16 Days of Activism Campaign 2022 With the Theme:: “”Unite Activism To Fight Gender Based Violence Against Women And Girls””

Focuses primarily on generating an increased awareness of the negative impact of violence on women and children as well as society as a whole. The campaign further seeks to address issues that affect vulnerable groups (women, girls and boys, LGBTI communities, people with disabilities, etc.) such as sexual harassment, rape, cultural practices that are harmful to women and children ( killings, child labour, witchcraft, burning), etc.

The campaign seeks to mobilize all of us as members of the community to also join in this effort.

The Women Affairs Commissioner, urged all Nigerians to join this fight. “When we know that someone is being abused in our own home or in our neighbour’s house, we have a duty to report that. We also have a duty to stand in court as witnesses to make sure that these abusers are prosecuted successfully”.

Domestic violence is not something that should be left to families to resolve. An uncle who rapes a niece needs to face the full might of the law. Once a crime has been committed, let us allow the law to take it full cost.

Despite Nigeria’s constitutional and legislative protection, violence based on gender and sexual orientation remains at unacceptable levels. The violence takes different forms such as sexual harassment, abuse, assault, rape, domestic violence and other cultural practices that are harmful to women and children.

Whilst there are programmes and interventions to prevent and respond to the abuse, government cannot do this alone and therefore depends on mutual partnerships with non-governmental organisations, business, faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, political parties, religious leaders and various sectors of society and communities.

Success of the 16 Days of Activism campaign is dependent on the partnership between government and various sectors of society including the media.

A concerted effort is required to promote the reach of the campaign to rural areas including farming and mining communities. Those most severely affected by violence are in these areas and may not be aware of the resources and services available to them to help them cope with their circumstances. We believe that the unacceptably high levels of gender-based violence require the collective efforts of all Nigerians.

As Nigerians, we must pause and ponder the real impact of gender-based violence. These include direct costs relating to health care services, judicial services, social services and other related services. Gender-based violence robs women and children of the opportunity to become productive citizens of the country. It denies them their constitutional rights and condemns them to a life of perpetual fear. They are therefore prevented from enjoying the fruits of our freedom and democracy.

The reality that we must collectively confront is the reluctance on the part of some victims of violence to come forward and seek legal advice and social support. This could be due to a lack of knowledge of their rights, the social stigma around domestic violence or the inaccessibility for rural women of police and courts.

We must also accept the said reality that financial dependency on husbands, fathers, partners and family members increases their vulnerability to domestic violence, rape, incest, abuse, and murder. We remain convinced that empowering women will help us win the war against poverty, inequality, unemployment and abuse.

The behaviour of child and women molesters poses fundamental questions to members of the human race. All civilised human beings throughout the world protect their women and children. Even animals make an effort to protect the weak among them.

From time to time, they can be seen protecting their young ones from predators with all the might they have. To them seeing their young ones hurting is unacceptable.

The question that must be posed is: If animals find it unacceptable to abuse their young ones, why is it that some among us derive pleasure from seeing their own flesh and blood in pain?

The scourge of child and women abuse threatens to erode many of the hard-earned gains of the liberation struggle. Child and women abuse deny women and children their birth rights. It condemns them to a life of fear and prevents them from being productive members of society.

Women and children long for the day when they can walk the streets without fear of being raped or brutally assaulted. They long for a day when they can walk the streets without having to look behind them to see who is following them. They long for a day when society will protect them against sexual molesters.

The current spate of child murders in our country is a matter of grave concern and a painful reminder of the disregard for human life and rights of children. In memory of all children who perished in hands of abusers, we must move with speed to put these murderers behind bars. As we do so, we must also focus our attention to those who claim to be sangomas who pay for the body parts of our children. The law must be equally harsh on them.

By giving women and child abusers harsher sentences, our courts are continuing to play a role in sending a message to these abusers that their actions will not be tolerated.

Accordingly, they must not be allowed to share the same spaces with our women and children, nor must they be allowed to roam our streets.

All vulnerable groups have the right to live, walk anywhere in their environment, which must be understood as their collective right to safety and security in the spaces they inhabit.

All institutions, community groups and citizens need to contribute to the development of safe and secure communities for all our people. In the name of all our women and children who were brutally murdered by those who were supposed to be their protectors, we must work tirelessly towards creating safe and secure cities.

Working together, we can do more to prevent domestic violence and make our homes places of safety, places of hope and places of peace and harmony.

The call to action is for all of us to work together to reduce the number of sexual offences, attacks and murder of women and children in our country as this year’s theme says

“Unite Activism To End Violence Against Women And Girls.