The Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Justice Network, an advocacy cluster under the USAID in Benue State, has called for the review of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP).
This, among other views, was expressed by stakeholders during the sensitisation session held in Makurdi over the weekend.
The stakeholders also called for a monitoring team in the state as well as a review of the law to address observable gaps.
They observed that cases of SGBV are on the rise in the state and suggested the need for stakeholders, including the media, to enhance efforts by amplifying advocacy and the implementation of laws to eradicate SGBV in the state.
In their presentations, a senior legal officer with Lawyers Alert, Soumtochukwu Ozobulu, and a member of the network and National President of the League of Women Voters of Nigeria, Irene Awunah-Ikyegh, explained the need to review the Benue Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPPL) and domicile its implementation in the newly established Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs in the state.
They observed that the absence of a regulatory body vested with the implementation of VAPPL makes it difficult to hold people to account, underscoring the need to appoint a coordinator.
According to Soumtochukwu, there are factors hindering victims of SGBV from speaking out, including lack of budget, absence of special courts, police factors, family, and society.
She submitted that if there are convictions, the issues around SGBV will be drastically reduced.
She added, “Violence Against Persons Prohibition does not have a monitoring team. So who should be held responsible?” She queried.
Soumtochukwu asked, stating that SGBV is not peculiar to a particular gender or class and should concern all.
She, however, said that the team, under the leadership of Lawyers Alert, had developed a draft of a new VAPP encompassing the identified gaps, urging the government to pass it into law.
In her comment, Irene said the Ministry of Women Affairs in Makurdi, which is vested with the responsibility for the implementation of the law, is “overwhelmed,” suggesting that the law be domiciled in the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
She also called on the media in the state to intensify the campaign against the vice.
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