The National Council of Women Societies, NCWS, and the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, have advocated the extension of humanitarian protection intervention in the North East to women and girls in other parts of the Country against gender based violence.
They made the call in Abuja during a National Women Conference in commemoration of the 2022 16-days of Activism to end Gender Based Violence, GBV organized by the National Council for Women Societies.
The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission Mr. Tony Ojukwu, represented by an Assistant Director, Ms. Rosemary Igboyi said as at August, over one million complaints were received by the Commission’s offices throughout the country across 14 thematic areas of focus out of which over two hundred thousand were complaints on women, children and other Gender issues.
The National President, NCWS Hajiya Lami Adamu-Lau, decried the increasing cases of Gender Based Violence across the nation which she attributed to COVID-19, flooding, and insecurity and urged the public to support efforts to end violence and other harmful practices against women and girls, especially those in IDP camps.
“As the voice of Nigerian women and the umbrella body of all women’s groups recognized by the government, we advocate improving the welfare, progress and standard of living of women and families in Nigeria.
The IDP camps have increased the vulnerability of women, girls and children to violence. We can go on and on,” she said.
The Chairman, National Population Commission, Alhaji Nasir Isa-Kwarra, represented by Dr kehinde Seun-Addie said through the full implementation of the revised National Policy on Population and Sustainable Development (NPP), the commission would sustain advocacies against GBV.
“Data is critical for tracking and reporting on incidences of GBV. Therefore, the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census is imperative to provide quality, reliable, timely, well-disaggregated and geo-referenced data in this regard. We need your support in the conduct of the next census” he said.
The Secretary General, Women Rights Advancement Protection Alternative, WRAPA, represented by State Project Officer Mr. Precious Anslem, said the conference would provide a platform for all women to unite against GBV and other harmful practices against women and girls.