A non-governmental organization, Public Awareness on Child and Women Rights (PACTS), has sensitized women on the use of technology to check violence against women and girls in rural communities of Osun State.
The program took place in Ojo villages and towns in the Egbedore Local Government Area of the state.
Ayoola Olusegun, the Group Executive Director, while addressing the women, said the program was put in place in commemoration of International Women’s Day.
She said that the focus of the program was to educate and expose the targeted group to the better application of modern technology in ending the instances of gender-based violence.
She added that this was done in compliance with the theme of the year’s IWD celebration: “Digital innovation and Technology for Gender Equality”.
Olusegun urged women to always use their smartphones to record violence against women and children and send the same to the appropriate authorities for action.
According to her, Android phones, in most cases, are under-utilized and as such, there is a need for further education on Android applications for better results on reportage of domestic violence and abuses in the communities.
She encouraged women to move with time and get connected to digital space, to enable them to contribute to ending violence against women and boosting the economic development of their communities, state, and Nigeria at large.
According to her, Section 4(I)(ii) and (iii) of Osun Protection Against Domestic Violence Law, 2013 gives the right to a third party to lodge complaints against perpetrators of domestic violence in the state without the question of locus standi.Ayodeji Adesua, the NGO’s Information Technology Officer, sensitized the women to show their smartphones could be used to record videos, snap pictures, and send SMS and WhatsApp chats to report incidences of violence to appropriate authorities without the knowledge of the perpetrators.
