Abbas leads Reps on advocacy walk against gender-based violence

…petitions IGP, demands action on violence against women, girls

By Christiana Ekpa

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, on Monday led the leadership and members of the House in a remarkable action to commemorate this year’s celebration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Accompanied by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; Majority Leader of the House, Hon. (Prof) Julius Ihonvbere; Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, and several other members of House and senior aides, Speaker Abbas led a walk against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Prominent participants in the exercise include Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; National Youth Leader, All Progressives Congress, Dayo Israel, among others.
The advocacy was part of this year’s 16 Days Activism Against Gender-based Violence, which aimed at the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.
The slogan for this year’s campaign is ‘No Excuse for Violence!’
The advocacy train moved from the National Assembly Complex to the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force, where the House presented a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, to demand proper investigation and prosecution of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
Addressing the crowd at the main entrance to the National Assembly, midway into the journey, the Speaker declared that the 10th House was ready to do more in the campaign against GBV and VAWG.
Speaker Abbas said: “This day is the day of history; a day that the National Assembly has chosen to become an active partner with other groups in the country to fight against gender-based violence. This year’s programme came at a time when, all over the world, women are crying, in anger and frustration. This is the year that the United Nations has issued a damning report, that every 10 minutes, a woman is being killed across the world.”