Society Tasked on Gender Based Violence
By Hilda Esin

December 11, 2007 - (This Day) Global Fund For Women Grantees Network Nigeria (GFFWGNN), and Partnership for Justice, non profitable organisations, have emphasised the need for all stakeholders to build partnerships and linkages and map out strategies aimed at eliminating violence against women in Nigeria.

Speaking at a one day workshop in commemoration of year 2007 international day on the elimination of violence against women and United Nation International Human Rights Day, the South West Co-ordinator, GFFWGNN, Mrs. Mma Odi, warned that perpetrators of violence against women would be made to pay for their actions.

She also called for deliberation on how to use gender sensitive budget as a panacea to violence against women and explore its inter-connection with HIVAIDS; and that violence against women in Nigeria is increasing because the government allows it to occur with impunity.

According to Odi, the culprit often go unpunished because of the pervasiveness of patriarchy and male conspiracy. "Laws, policies, practice discrimination against women denies them equal right with the men", she said.

She explained that many women in Nigeria are trapped in a circle of poverty, which often breeds violence, so gender roles and societal structures reinforce the power of men over women's lives and bodies.

Speaking to THISDAY on the topic gender sensitive budgets as a panacea to violence against women and HIV-AIDS, the Executive Director, Community Life Project (CLP), Mrs. Ngozi Iwere, said there is a relationship between violent and HIV. So many cases of rape are going on in the society and sometimes victims of rape come around and those screened are HIV positive, Iwere said.

"There is a link between HIV and violence against women. Whether within the family or outside. Many women who are infected with HIV where infected by their partners not because they were careless, they were faithful but were still infected by their partners," Iwere said.

Women are already empowered and endowed but are not able to exercise their empowerment because of social condition that constrains their society, she said.

Iwere advocated that structures that stop a woman from realising her full potential, as a human being should be removed by society.

"Certain obstacles and conditions that hold the woman back from doing certain kind of jobs, disempowering message that she's only property, she's only doing house work, if she is married and bearing children should be eradicated".

"The same things does appear to a man. He has self worth, if he is married and has children but if all the barriers that are put on a woman's part can be removed by the society, then, the government can play a role in this. With this a woman would be able to exercise her full potentials because she is naturally endowed and empowered by nature," Iwere stated.

GFFWGNN revealed that programmes and policies are aimed at allowing women live fully as full fledged human beings and making their own contributions to the society should be included in the budget and such money allocated for.

"As long as it is not in the budget there is no way there can become reality in the society. So we are looking at the 2009 budget at all level of government. Civil society groups and activities are organising, mobilising and starting advocates. Engaging with government to ensure that budget really serves the people at the conceptual level," Iwere stated.

She disclosed that CLP committee life project has been working with men since 1992 and needs to engage with men and young boys. "We need to engage with men and boys to share the burden that society has put on to harden them and stop them from being more human than they are now", she stated.

She stated that every girl child, human being should know their right and that it is important that family and communities equip the girl child at an early age to recognise signs of danger when it comes to sexual harassment and sexual abuse.

Iwere also advised that children should be taught on certain area where they ought not to be touched by the male gender and should be encouraged to speak up.

"What the girl child needs most is the comfort zone, that place where she can come to. She should know that if anything happens to her she can go to her parents or any trusted adult who is not going to hush her up or blame her for what is happening," Iwere said.

She explained that organisations need to create awareness for people because rapes of girls, especially little children and infant are increasing at alarming rate.

 

From:http://allafrica.com/stories/200712120631.html