Members of the Bauchi association of women journalists
By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi
Thirty years after the institution of the ’16 Days Activism On Gender Based Violence’, more victims are now coming to out to speak on violence melted on them.
The assertion was made by a Gender Expert, Mrs Helen John who said that,
“When these victims come out, there are no shelters or referral centres to provide them with pysco-social support and counselling.The media need to advocate for the establishment of these centres .”
Helen John who was speaking at a parley which took place at the NUJ Secretariat which focused on reporting Gender Based Violence and Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law recently passed in the State said that statistics from the 2018 National Demographic Health Survey shows that in Bauchi 21% to 22% of women in the state have experienced one form of gender based Violence be it physical or sexual violence.
She lamented that more than half of the women don’t report the violence against them saying that gender based Violence comes in the form of rape, assault and sexual harassment and can occur at home, school, work place or in the community and of recent online harassment.
According to her, “Though results will not be immediate but with media campaign, more people will be aware of their rights and went to speak out”.
Speaking of the Violence against person’s Prohibition (VAPP) Law, Bauchi State Secretary, International Federation of Females Lawyers (FIDA) Barr.Hauwa Ahmed, said that information gathering and preservation of evidence as it relates to rape is hampering prosecution.
She said that, “People need to stop washing rape victims before going to the police,. We need evidence to charge perpetrators”.
She also said that currently, the VAPP law has been returned to the State House of Assembly for amendment of some sections expressing happiness that the law has taken care of lots of issues regarding gender based Violence.
The FIDA Secretary added that, “The law prevents families from concealing rape cases as they have same punishment as the perpetrator because any case if rape is between the state and the perpetrator”.
Chairperson, NAWOJ, Bauchi State chapter, Mrs Bulak Afsa said that the Association conducted the round table to scale up reportage geared towards the elimination of GBV and encourage victims to speak out.
She then urged the media to sustain their reportage beyond the 16 days Activism On Gender Based Violence in order to continue to draw awareness of the various forms of violences against vulnerable people.
The parley was organized by Nigeria Association of Journalists (NAWOJ),Bauchi chapter to round off activities to mark the ’16 Days Activism On Gender Based Violence’ with a round table discussion for 30 journalists.
