Wife of the Delta state governor, Dame Edith Okowa, gave the advise when the Coalition against Gender-based violence , comprising of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), which embarked on a peaceful rally paid her a courtesy visit in Asaba.
The rally and visit which culminated into a meeting with leaders of the various NGOs, is part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence which recorded a spike during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The event commemorates the theme of this year’s programme: “Orange The World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect”.
Addressing the mammoth crowd made up of women, girls, boys and men, the Founder, 0’5 Initiative, Dame Okowa, tasked mothers to be their daughters best friends and be good listeners in order to gain their confidence and attention before they confide on their peers.
While appreciating the various bodies that made up the coalition for their determination in the eradication of gender-based violence against women, Dame Okowa, called on them to visit Churches, Mosques and market places for a wider reach.
She harped on the need for data collection as a veritable means of prosecuting their course for the needed achievements just as she noted that more women and the girl child needed to know when their rights are violated.
Barr. Julian Ogwulu, who led the rally had earlier told the wife of the governor that the 16 days of activism was to create awareness among the female folks of the increasing violation of women and girls rights.
The Executive Director, International Center for Women Empowerment and Child Development (ICWECD), assured Dame Okowa, that the awareness would not end with the 16 days activism but would be continued until they get rid of gender based violators from the state.
On the recent Delta state Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law, a law against all forms of violence on both gender, she stated that the law would help in fighting offenders.
According to her, “intimate partner violence, battering, psychological abuse, marital rape, femicide, sexual violence and harassment such as rape and unwanted sexual advances, child sexual abuse are some forms of violent abuse perpetuated against women and girls in the society”, stressing that human-trafficking, slavery, female general mutilation, child marriage among others.
Also speaking, Chairperson, National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Delta state chapter, Pat Gbemudu, said: “We use the 16 days of activism that normally start on the 25th of November with the International Day of the Elimination of all forms of against women and it ends 10th December, the Human Rights Day.
“The 16 days is mapped out to sensitize mostly the women on their Rights that is why we are ending it up with the Human Rights because a lot of women don’t even know their rights, they don’t know they have rights to their lives and bodies. So, you don’t need to leave your body to a man as a punching bag.
“Some women you see them dying in marriage because of what people will say, they don’t know when to walk of a marriage. We are using this opportunity to tell every woman that you have the right to walk out of any marriage that you know that want to cost you your life.
“And again, we have a lot of cases on rape, we are equally using the opportunity to sensitize our girls on how to safeguard themselves so that they won’t be used. They should learn how to speak out to their parents especially their mothers.
“And we equally advised women to always give listening ears to their daughters so that they will know when their daughter is being abused. Most women don’t have the time even when the girl child want to report to them what they are passing through, they won’t be there to listen. You see these girls going astray, this is the time to tell them what they need to know”, she stressed.
Asked whether there was no other way to resolve family crisis apart from walking out, she said: “yes, you don’t just walk out, separation is not devoice. You can separate so that two of you will be able to come to a common ground to really identify and x-ray all those grey areas that are causing the issue.
“Then, you can involve people that is, those who sponsored your marriage but when that crisis is leading to take your life, when a man hits you at every provocation, you don’t need to remain in that marriage, you can step aside.
“Not that we are telling people to devoice. No! That is not the message. The message is that you own your life, you have the right to your life and no woman should die because you want to safeguard your marriage. Apart from the physical truama, you have the emotional abuse. You see women are dying because of abuses, these are the things we are talking about”, she stressed.
Apart from NAWOJ, others are the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Medical Women Association of Nigerian (MWAN), were part of the rally.
