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Efforts towards tackling Gender-Based Violence in Nasarawa

Efforts towards tackling Gender-Based Violence in Nasarawa

By Grace Amirikpa, Lafia 

One of the most prevalent human rights violations in the world is Gender-based violence. 

Violence against women is defined as any act that inflicts physical, sexual, or psychological, emotional harm or suffering on women.

In general terms, violence against women which occurs in public and private places, manifests in form of battering, sexual harassment psychological abuse, forced marriage, rape, human trafficking among others.

A psychologist with Dalhatu Specialist Hospital, DASH, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Yusaf Hussain Onawo noted that gender-based violence happened to both male and female but women experienced more aggression than their male counter parts.

Some women who bared their minds on their experiences said they suffered emotional and psychological trauma.

A mother of four who doesn’t want her name mentioned said she has suffered battering since she got married. In her words; “I have been verbally and physically abused by my husband since we got married 13 years now and because of the constant emotional and psychological trauma I suffered from his abuse, I now have high blood pressure “. 

Unfortunately, the growing impacts of climate change crisis has hightened gender-based violence cases with reports indicating that one out of five women who are refugees or displaced because of natural disaster has been raped and sexually harassed.

In an interview, Mary Abu and Martha Kumun who are IDPs at RCM Primary School Kardorko in Keana and Doma Local government areas of Nasarawa State due to herders/Farmers crisis occasioned by climate change, revealed that they are being harassed by their host community over water and firewood.

According to them, “whenever we go searching for firewood for cooking, some member of the community will collect it back, leaving us with no wood to cook food for our children” .

No doubt, Gender-Based Violence affects the health, social and economic lives of affected women and can even lead to death.

Onawo noted that “sexual and emotional aggression against women especially those displaced by flood or climate change induced conflicts like the herders/farmers crisis, can lead to unplanned pregnancies, STDs, depression and social isolation, calling for an end to stimatisation and culture of silence that shroud gender based abuses in the society.”

It is based on this premise that United Nations set aside 25th November as international day for elimination of violence against women.

The day which marks the beginning of 16 days activitism against gender-based violence is aimed at creating awareness on the increasing cases of violence against women and the need to address the menace.

National Coordinator, Human Rights Research and Advocacy Forum, Comrade Shafa Shuiabu Mohammed in an interview said addressing violence against women amidst climate change crisis requires a multi-faceted approach involving various stakeholders.

According to him, climate change crisis like droughts, floods, farmers/herders crisis can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and inequalities, forcing families to migrate or become internally displaced thus exposing women and girls to all forms of abuses due to environmental issue caused by factors such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and pollution among others.

On mechanism put in place to end violence against women in the face of the increasing incidences of climate change, Director Planing, Research and Statistics, Nasarawa State Ministry of Women of Affairs and Social Development, Clement Alu, said the State Government has social workers at the local levels and committee on gender-based violence to provide psycho- social support to victims.

“Whenever there are cases that is beyond the mandate and capacity of the social workers such cases are referred to security agencies or Federation of Women Lawyers for persecution”, Mr Alu said. 

The Director Planing Research and Statistics, Ministry of Women of Affairs and Social Development, explained that the State government has established Sexual Assault Referral Centre at Dalhatu Specialist Hospital, Lafia to handle GVB cases and provide solutions to emergency situations.

According to him, “Governor Abdullahi Sule has also given approval for the establishment of shelter home to house and help victims of abuses especially the younger girls who have nowhere to go”.

Underscoring the importance of the 16 days of activitism against gender-based violence, the human rights activist, comrade Shafa Shafa Shuiabu Mohammed said most cases of abuses against women and girls in the IDPs are unreported, adding that the centre usually carry out sensitisation through out the period to encourage victims on the need to speak out.

“Our centre also collaborate with Police, Ministry of Women Affairs and other stakeholders to ensure victims of abuses get justice”.

He opined that to tackle issues of violence against women in the face of increasing impact of global warming on livelihood of women which most at times expose them to aggression, victims must speak out and government should provide women living in the IDPs with social amenities by training them on resilient skills for survival.

Emphasising on the theme for international day for elimination of violence against women “Invest to Prevent Violence against Women & Girls,” a lecture with Federal University of Lafia, Professor Uji Wilfred, said cultural reorientation is the only way to end violence against women in the society.

Professor Uji maintained that GBV expectantly rape happens every day in the society due to moral decadence, poverty and disregard for women dignity. 

He opined that the only way to tackle abuse against women is for the society to teach the male child at the cradle to respect and protect the girl child.

With the raising cases of GVB heightened by climate change events, now is time to take action towards mitigating the impact on women and girls who are vulnerable to assults.

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