he Ebonyi State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, has disclosed readiness to carry out aggressive campaigns on the implication of violence against women and girls.
The Director, Women Development of the ministry, Mrs Marcelina Ibina, disclosed this on Friday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.
She said that the exercise would be taken to the menfolk to enlighten them on the implication of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
According to her, the ministry deemed it necessary to embark on the enlightenment because it saw that many people, mostly male, were ignorant of the consequences and reproach associated with the act.
The director said that her office would go as far as enlightening members of the public on the dangers associated with GBV and the need to end the act as part of the New Year resolution.
“Our plan for 2021 is to scale up sensitisation for proper understanding on all forms of violence against women and girls because we understand that some men are not aware of the implications of molesting women and girls.
“We believe that exposing more men during the campaign will reduce the scourge in the state,” Ibina said.
She said further that the department had received support from the Federal Government since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the state government had also assisted women through the United Nations (UN) to cushion the effects of the pandemic.
The director explained that the palliatives provided for over 180 women in the state include various food items and funds from the Federal Government with the support of the United Nations.
She said that the beneficiaries were selected among some women living with HIV/AIDS, physically-challenged persons, widows and others.
“The situation of women has become worrisome economically due to increase in violence against women and girls.
“We have also witnessed cases of spousal battery, increment of rape incidents, dissolution of marriages, all these appear to be prevalent because some of the men involved lack a reasonable means of livelihood,” Ibina said. (NAN)
