Edo State government says it intends to amend the Violence Against Persons law as part of the campaign to curb violence against young girls, women and other vulnerable persons in the state.
Commissioner of Social Development and Gender Issues, Maria Omozele Edeko, said this at a press conference in commemoration of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based the Violence, in Benin City, Edo State.
She commended the wife of the Edo State governor, Betsy Obaseki and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Edo State branch, for their support in the implementation of Violence Against Persons (VAP) law in the state.
She said the implementation of the VAP law in the state had suffered some setback due to some errors and called for collective action to make it enforceable, “We urge all the stakeholders concerned to take quick and necessary action to amend the law so that the people can enjoy the full benefits of the law.”
The VAP law, according to Edeko, expanded the scope of violence against women to include physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic violence.
The commissioner said the 16 Days Activism Against Gender Violence is an annual international campaign which kicked-off on the 25th of November, 2019. It is marked as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and girls, with the theme, “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands Against Rape.”
She stressed that women and girls universally experience rape, sexual violence and abuse, adding that the exact number of rape and sexual assault are notoriously difficult to confirm due to frequent latitude and impunity of perpetrators, stigma towards survivors and the culture of silence over such wrongdoings.
