BENIN CITY- The First Lady of Edo State, Her Excellency Betsy Obaseki, has called upon all stakeholders in the fight against gender-based violence to unite and selflessly commit to curbing this menace in the state.
She made this plea during a workshop organized by the Ministry of Justice in collaboration with the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) Africa, held at the John Oyegun Training Centre in GRA Benin City. The workshop centered on the theme, “Equipping Agents of Change in Building a Future Free from Gender-Based Violence.”
Representing the Governor and serving as the Chair of the Edo State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, the First Lady highlighted significant strides made in combating gender-based violence within the state. These achievements included the passage of the VAPP Law, the establishment of a robust Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, and the creation of a state-of-the-art Sexual Assault Referral Centre equipped with a shelter for women. Additionally, the state offers free medical and legal services to victims of gender-based violence.
The First Lady emphasized the importance of ensuring that these initiatives operate effectively to achieve their intended objectives, given the profound impact of gender-based violence on individuals and society as a whole.
She urged participants at the conference to consider the consequences of selfishness and noted, “What is good for only you at the end of the day will be bad for you. Because when everybody else doesn’t have that good, they will turn against you, and you will not be able to enjoy the good that you’ve been selfishly struggling to have for yourself.”
Applying that in addressing the enduring effects of gender-based violence, she added, “Let’s look at life that way. And let’s all take this work of GBV seriously. What it is, is when people are abused and bastardized, they cannot attain their God-given destinies. We talk about how the cemetery is the richest place because many destinies are dead there. But it happens every day, people living, walking corpses who just cannot function anymore as a result of one abuse early in life. Their lives were destroyed forever.”
Marcus Greene, a Board member of the Attorney General Alliance (AGA) Africa, stressed the far-reaching consequences of gender-based violence and emphasized the need to raise boys with values that prevent them from becoming perpetrators. He stated, “Gender-based violence is a very, very, very serious issue. It’s worldwide. And I’m so happy to see so many men in the audience because guess what? It’s our fault, right? Gender-based violence is perpetrated mostly by men. We have the power to change it.”
Earlier in his address, the Attorney General of Edo State, Oluwole Uzzi Esq., underscored the alarming prevalence of gender-based violence in today’s society. He urged all stakeholders, including investigators, prosecutors, judges, and support staff, to come together and address this issue collectively.
He stated, “You can hardly open the newspapers, you can hardly go online today without seeing one form of gender-based violence. It has risen to intolerable levels. So that is why we said, let us discuss with those who are in the forefront, those who are first responders and check it and eradicate it.”
The two day workshop aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to combat gender-based violence effectively, with the goal of building a safer and more inclusive future for all in Edo State.
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