Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
Ekiti State Office of the Public Defender has handled no fewer 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 Society (NCWS) at a sensitisation programme in Ado Ekiti.
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 menace
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 practicing 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.
In her remarks, the state President of the National Council of Women Society (NCWS), Chief Bolatito Alabi, expressed gratitude to the Office of the Public Defender for sensitising the public on ways to tackle gender-based violence.
Alabi pledged the continue support of her society for efforts at eradicating the menace of all forms of gender-based violence in the society.
