GROUP DECRIES UPSURGE IN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
By Abimbola Akosile, Lagos

December 8, 2003 – (This Day - Lagos) Women all over the country have condemned the increasing rate of violent attacks upon their gender such as rape and murder.

Launching a new annual report of attacks on women in the country, the Project Alert on Violence Against Women, a gender-based non-governmental organisation, last week in Lagos, disclosed figures, which showed an increase in reported cases of violent attacks against women compared to two previous years (2001 and 2002).

The group launched the 166-page report as part of the activities to mark this year's 16 days of activism against gender violence, an international event marked every year between November 25 - December 10, to raise public awareness on the prevalence and consequences of violence against women.

In her address at the launch, Mrs. Josephine Effah-Chukwuma, executive director of Project Alert, stated that violence against women was a cause and consequence of rising rates in HIV infection around the world, and that the issue, especially in the areas of sexual violence (rape and incest), needed to be urgently tackled in a bid to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

The report, a third edition, chronicled daily newspaper reports on violent attacks on women in Nigeria. It listed a total of 169 reported cases, comprising 40 cases of violence and murder; 32 cases of rape and sexual assault; 73 cases of assault and murder of women; 3 cases of acid bath; and 21 cases of kidnap and abduction.

Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Osarenren, a Member of the Board of Trustees of Project Alert, while presenting the report, claimed that the issue of
attacks on women was still on the increase, despite all efforts made to check the spread. She spoke on Bills being pursued at both the House of Representatives and Lagos State House of Assembly on violence against women, which were expected to proffer stiffer penalties for offenders.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200312080835.html