IDFP laud Benue Govt on gender sensitive laws, pledges support against GBV

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

A Non Governmental Organization NGO, the Interface Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) has commended Benue state for passing gender sensitive laws that respond to issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), in the communities.

The Programme Manager of IDFP, Hajia Lantana Abdullahi stated this during an advocacy visit to the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Anna Itodo in Makurdi to intimate her on the IDFP project and activities in the state.

Hajia Abdullahi informed that there are emerging issues of human organ harvesting and trafficking of same in the state and called on the government to mandate the relevant agencies to monitor and nip it in the bud.

She explained that IDFP in partnership with UN Women are in four states including Benue, Bauchi, Ekiti and kaduna, implementing a project that seeks to utilize important resources of traditional and religious leaders to monitor, prevent and respond to issues of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), in the communities.

She said the visit was to reaffirm the activities through community dialogue, advocacy engagement fora and capacity building sessions and to solicit the support of the ministry to advance the initiatives.

Our correspondent reports that the team was in the state to parley with traditional and religious leaders for the development of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) prevention byelaws.

The meeting identified rape, defilement of minors, wife and girl friend battery, family abandonment, child marriages, child labour, educational deprivation, under age prostitution, trafficking in persons, organ harvesting and trafficking among others as prevalent and emerging GBV cases that needs to be addressed in the state.

She commended the efforts of the Benue State Government for its consideration of gender sensitive laws making reference to the VAPP law, the Child Rights law and other laws and bills before the state Assembly urging the state government to ensure stiff enforcement and implementation of such inclusive policies.

She also lauded conversations around inheritance laws, widowhood practices, marital rights among others and pledged the commitment of IDFP to empower faith based and traditional leaders to take active roles in the prevention and response to SGBV in their communities.

Responding, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs Anna Itodo represented by the Acting Director Women Affairs, Mrs Magdalene Andor, said there were rumours of organ harvesting but the state government have not officially received a report on it.

She assured that such would be looked into saying the state Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has opened avenues of collaboration with relevant organizations to tackle the issues of GBV in the state.

The Commissioner informed that there are lots of laws and policies going on in the state because the present government had given room for partners to come to the state for businesses and activities that would benefit the people.

While pledging support for IDFP projects, Mrs Itodo appreciated the team for the visit saying they have elicited several other areas of consideration beyond gender-based violence to include mental health, child protection as well as policies that are inclusive towards advancing the development of women and the girls child in the state.

Photo

Hajia Lantana Abdullahi, the Acting Director Women Affairs Mrs Magdalene Andor and other stakeholders during the advocacy visit.