Women led Organization on Gender Based Violence in Niger State has called on Governments at all levels to invest in Sexual and Gender Based Violence , SGBV and increase budget to end violence against women and girls in the State.
The Group made the call during a Press Conference with Newsman held in Minna. The State Coordinator of the Group, Mrs Hassana Joan Kpetu said the call became necessary following the adverse effect SGBV is having on the Society.
According to Mrs Kpetu, Sexual and Gender Based Violence undermines both Economic and Social development and individual capacity to realize his or her rights and potentials under already stringent conditions.
Mrs Kpeto said that Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Centre, WARD-C, is a Non- Governmental, profit and Partisan Organization that has it’s presence across the 36 States of the Federation including the FCT, Abuja. WARD-C is a Human Rights Organisation aimed at combating all forms of Human Rights violations, Child Abuse, Gender Based Violence, and Child Labour against girls and boys, among others.
She explained that the Organization has been working tirelessly to ensure that the menace of SGBV is brought to a standstill in Society. The Coordinator said, “We are calling on Governments at all levels to invest in SGBV increase their budgets to end violence against Women and Girls through collaboration with State Actors and Private Sector partnership.
Mrs Kpetu further stressed that the purpose of the briefing was to draw the attention of the State Government, Legislators, Local Councils and Stakeholders to ensure that the 2025 budget reflects a human-centric approach where SGBV is prioritized.
She added, “We are just requesting 0.05% of the total budget to ensure that MDAs such as Ministries of Women Affairs, Justice, Health, Education, Humanitarian and Disaster Management, and the Child Rights Agency are adequately funded to combat issues of human rights violations and SGBV.
She then suggested the engagement and participation of Legislators as Strategic Partners in adopting a Gender-responsive budgeting framework for the appropriate allocation of resources for the effective mitigation of SGBV in the State.
Contributing separately members of the Group commended the Niger State House of Assembly for passing into Law the Violence Against Persons Prohibition, VAPP Law.
However, an appeal was made requesting the House to ensure enforcement of the Law making amendments in sections where punishments are not commiserate with the gravity of the offence.
Present at the Briefing include Representatives of FIDA, NCWS, SARC, 100 Lobby Women Group, & WRAPA.
