The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Uyo branch has prosecuted more than 15 sexual offenders in the past three years.
FIDA is a foremost international non-governmental organization whose thematic areas are Women’s Rights, Children’s Rights, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Peace Building and Conflict Prevention.
In an interview with Straightnews publisher at the NBA secretariat, Uyo branch on Wednesday, Mrs. Iquo Abia, the Chairperson of FIDA, Uyo Branch decried upsurge of sexual offences in the state.
Abia said under her leadership, FIDA has these cases in its sexual offences register for trial in courts, and lamented the rise in gender-based violence against women.
On the number of cases prosecuted by FIDA, she said all genders perpetrate violence against one another, ”but we are looking at prevalence. Currently, three or four cases are being prosecuted by FIDA. The issue is when women come out to report and when it is time for us to prosecute the matter, they will back out. This is the challenge we are facing.”
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Commenting on the Men’s Roundtable discussion organised by FIDA, Abia who is also Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, said it was predicated on statistics against gender-based violence. For instance, statistics from World Health Organisation (WHO) and other bodies show that more women suffer more violence than men and we know that if we do not talk to or call out many men who are involved in violence, the situation would worsen.
”We need to collaborate with men and become partners in the fight against gender-based violence. All genders are involved in violence. However, we have a few cases where men perpetrate violence against women in the state. During the roundtable, we heard that because of ego, many men do not come to report violence against them by their wives.
”But we have a few cases of men who come out to report violence against them by their wives. In some cases during mediation, we hear more men telling us of violence against them by their wives or intimate partners.
”It is worse when couples separate. They extend their bitterness to their children. It becomes worse when one partner is in custody of the children, he or she will not allow the other partner to have access to the children.”
Earlier at the Round Table Discussion in her welcome address, Abia had said the discussion was captured in the theme: ‘Engaging Men as Allies’. The discussion is modelled to drive conversation on gender-based violence, with emphasis on domestic violence.
According to her, ”Often times, we don’t address domestic violence until it happens to celebrities. In recent times, we have seen how violence by professionals has gone viral. The more we choose not to talk about domestic violence, the more we lose the opportunity to curb its prevalence in our society.
”The need to bring our men together is borne out of the prevailing statistics on domestic violence. According to the World Health Organisation, violence against women is a major public health problem and a violation of human rights. Violence can negatively affect women’s physical, mental, sexual, reproductive health and in some cases, can result in death.
”It is pertinent to note that most of these violence is intimate partner violence. While both men and women may experience incidents of violence and abuse, women are more likely to experience repeated and severe forms of violence.
”According to Global Database on Violence against Women, 22.3% of women in Nigeria experience lifetime physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence.”
On the achievement of the body, she averred ”FIDA and other stakeholders facilitated the enactment of VAPP Law. We have held advocacy and sensitization sessions on VAPP Law in schools, churches, markets, town hall meetings.
”We have also gone to media houses and social media to reach out to the public, yet we still receive reports of gender-based violence such as spousal battery, rape, child abandonment, emotional and psychological violence, sexual harassment, incest by father, brother, uncle etc. Hence the need to engage our men as partners in curbing GBV in our society.”
The Chairman of the Round Table, Dr. Akpanim Akpabio thanked FIDA for organising the event and identified infidelity, incompatibility among couples, suspicion and dishonesty, among others as some of the triggers of gender-based violence.
Akpabio enjoined couples to embrace love, sincerity and trust as a way of sustaining the c ordiality in the relationship.
