Foundation organises silent protest on sexual violence against women
NAN-HG-9
Protest
Abuja, Nov. 28, 2016 (NAN) Aids Healthcare Foundation, an NGO, on Monday in FCT organised a silent protest on sexual violence against women seeking to break the culture of silence around rape.
Ms Kemi Gbadamosi, the Senior Manager, Public Relation and Communications of the fo0undation, said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja.
She said the silent protest was a peaceful solidarity march against sexual violence and to raise awareness on Post Exposure Prophylaxis for victims of rape in order to reduce HIV infections.
Gbadamosi stressed that the silent protest also seeks stiffer penalties for perpetrators and full implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP Law).
“It is a symbolic show of solidarity for those who have suffered sexual and gender based violence as it has continued to thrive and put a lot of people at risk.
“Daily we are inundated with news of sexual assaults on both young and old.
“We however believe that putting the discourse at the forefront will empower survivors and send a strong message to perpetrators,’’ she said.
She added that the protest was one of AHF Nigeria’s strategy of ensuring that issues of gender based violence especially violence against women and young girls were brought to the fore.
Gbadamosi said young girls were raped on daily basis, women experience domestic violence in their homes and nothing was done about it.
She added that the laws in our environment do not support the girls, adding that it is hard to make a diagnosis or establish a rape case which causes victims to be silent and not stigmatised.
She called on relevant stakeholders including lawmakers, ministries and agencies responsible for the group, to take up the challenge and find a lasting solution to the menace.
In the same vein, Dr Kema Onu, Site Coordinator of the foundation, said the protest also seeks to reverse the trend of HIV which affects mainly women between the ages of 15 to 24 years.
He said the social economic challenges surrounding a girl child between the ages of 15 to 24 were overwhelming and they were most vulnerable at this age.
“Young girls within these age range are just beginning to realise more about their sexual reproductive health, and they cannot take hold of their sexual reproductive rights.
“This is the age when some of them are given out in marriage without their consent, some are sexually abused, raped and can’t speak out rather they die in silence.
“There is need for more awareness of where they can seek redress so they don’t die in silence by not knowing where to go or who to talk to,’’ he added.
Onu also urged parents and guardians to create an enabling environment where children can talk about their sexual and reproductive health and freedom to speak out whenever they are abused.
He further called on more lawyers to provide free services in getting justice for them, activists and ambassadors to stand up and speak out to create more awareness on gender violence. (NAN)
TIM/LAB/MST
Edited by Lydia Beshel/Muhammad Suleiman Tola