By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti State Office of the Public Defender has handled not less than 400 cases of gender-based violence since its creation in 2015.
The Executive Secretary in Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Taiwo Akinbobola, made this known while addressing members of the state chapter of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) at a sensitisation programme
in Ado Ekiti.
Mrs. Akinbobola, who spoke through the Deputy Director (Crime Department), Mrs. Yetunde Kolawole, identified female genital mutilation (FMG) as one of the foremost violent practices against women, saying that unfortunately, most culprits hide behind culture and tradition to perform the act without regards to the laws as well as the negative physical and psychological effects on victims of the dastardly act.
According to her, though some women engage in violence against men, the perpetrators of gender violence are mostly men, adding that the abominable act must be discouraged at all cost in order to entrench genuine peace in the society.
Stressing the need to report all gender-related violence to her office for proper adjudication towards guaranteeing sanity in families and the society in general, Akinbobola reiterated government’s zero tolerance for any form of violence in the state particularly against women.
She cautioned parents against practising gender inequality, emphasising that attaching undue importance to male children above their female counterparts not only place women at a disadvantage in most spheres of life but have negative impact on the society as a whole.
Details later…
