By Saidu Idris
As the world commemorates the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has charged all Nigerians to champion the fight against sexual and gender based violence in their communities as the key to the speedy elimination of the vice in the country.
NOA’s Director General, Dr. Garba Abari, stated this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday.
He described violence against women as a scourge that is consuming societies across the world, adding that it mostly has its roots in age-long cultural and religious practices which have no scientific basis.
According to Abari, “Violence against women, such as rape and other forms of sexual and gender based violence are a disservice to the very nature of mankind because every human is born of a woman. When women are hurt, human existence is threatened. All Nigerians must therefore now take the lead in pushing for the elimination of violence against women in their respective communities; that is a sure and quick way to stemming this vice”.
He noted that NOA, in recent times, has intensified its sensitisation campaign against rape and gender based violence in response to the recorded upsurge in such crimes during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Abari also stated that the campaign targeted communities, students and other stakeholders, including duty bearing organizations in the elimination of violence against women.