The deputy governor of Sokoto state, Manir Dan’iya has reiterated the state government’s commitment to ending rising violence against women and children.
He stated this at the quarterly coordinating meeting on ending violence against women, children and the girl- child under the European Union (EU-) Spotlight Initiative, a 5-year project to tackle gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria.
According to Dan’Iya, “the administration of Aminu Tambuwal has demonstrated total commitment and willingness to partner the EU and United Nations (UN) agencies “who are strong partners in the fight against GBV in the state by mandating the Ministries of Budget and Economic Planning as well as the Ministry of Women and Children, to partake actively in implementation the project in the state.”
He said the administration will soon assent bills that will promulgate enabling laws that will care of the challenges being faced in the dispensation of justice on cases relating to GBV.
He explained that in no distant future the state Executive Council will ratify the bills an pass them on to the Sokoto State House of Assembly (SOHA) for assent.
Dan’iya who noted that the UN agencies visiting the state have witnessed first hand the efforts of Governor Tambuwal in improving the lives of women and children in the areas of health and education, said : “violence” in any form is violence, no matter the degree in doing or instigating it.
“Women and children being weaker sex in the society need to be protected by the government and their immediate society. That’s why our government in recent times has sank a lot into making provisions to tackle the rise of GBV in Sokoto.
He thanked the UN and EU agencies in the state for supporting the incumbent administration and promised that all the challenges being faced now in overcoming thorny issues will soon be history.
The meeting received ‘Spotlight Sokoto Harmonized Report’, which data shows a disparity between the increasing rate of rape and other related crimes over low rate of conviction from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.
According to the report, while over 100 cases of rape and related crimes were reported in Sokoto only five were prosecutes and convicted.
Goodwill messages were received from the Country Representatives of the UN, UNFPA, WHO, UNICEF, UN-AIDS as well as traditional and religious leaders who are partners in the activities of EU Spotlight Initiative.
