Osun Traditional, Religious Leaders Adopt New Code to End Violence against Women and Girls.
… As CEWHIN convenes Town Hall meeting in Osogbo Osun state, and Launches Prevention framework Under Ford Foundation-backed project…
By Titilola Olaniyan,
Religious Leaders, Traditional rulers, Youth groups, Women Journalists, NUJ members, Market Leaders and Person’s living with Disabilities PWDs among others have come together to adopt a new code to end Violence against Women and Girls VAWG in Osun state.
The groups made the disclosure at the townhall meeting on Enhanced VAWG Prevention among Religious and Traditional Stakeholders, held at the NUJ Press Centre, Osogbo, the state capital.
The meeting which was convened by the Center for Women’s Health and Information (CEWHIN), focused on ending harmful Cultural practices that fuel violence against women and girls.
The Initiative supported by the Ford Foundation is to work with Religious and Community leaders in the South West Nigeria in preventing sexual exploitation and abuse, against women and girls..
In their remarks, CEWHIN facilitators noted that the has held in Ogun state , adding that Osun states turn will contribute to the reiteration by the traditional and religious leaders to lead the vanguard against VAWG and sensitise other leaders of note.
They described the session as a chance for open dialogue, where community members could name the practices they see, agree on local solutions, and adopt the framework for use in their towns and compounds.
Representatives of the organisations who participated in the CEWHIN townhall meeting which include, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists NAWOJ states that with the importance of responsibility back in the home, parents should be a good role models, and monitor their children’s activities and guide them rightly to protect them from abuse and help them live a better futures
Citizen Lola Wey, a gender based violence Activist, postulated that anyone who commits sexual harassment or any type of gender based violence will face the full wrath of law, even if a victim is reluctant to pursue the case.
The Otun Iyalode of Osogbo, Mrs. Naimot Oladimeji, called for a deliberate shift towards youths inclusion, added that Youths should be the highest participants of GBV program, because they are the most affected when it comes to such sensitive matter, adding that young people need to be enlightened to know their rights.
In his contribution, the Muslim representative at the programme added that religious leaders should should be use sermons to teach on the implications of traditions that harms women and girls.
Also, the Iyaloja of Osogbo who listed female genital mutilation and other demeaning rites as barbaric, added that the VAWG engagement must be sustained and taken to major communities across the state. She urged the participants to spread the knowledge to their neighbours, markets, compounds and associations.
A representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also charged the participants to put the framework and Code of Conduct to immediate use, so that communities can become safer for women and girls.
Other contributors opined that on sexual harassment and gender based violence victims rarely speak out, and She urged survivors to break the silence and report to the right authorities to get justice.
While Youth representative blamed ignorance on existence of GBV, adding that continuous enlightenment is the major antidote to end the old practice still being observed.
The Town Hall meeting which is based on identifying harmful cultural norms, traditional rites that enable physical abuse, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, aim to proffer practical community-owned mitigation strategies and to formally launch the key tools developed under the project .
Highlight of the townhall meeting was the unveiling of “The framework for the prevention and of physical abuse and sexual exploitation and abuse”.
With the framework and code of conduct now formally launched in the Osun, stakeholders pledged commitment to tame the harmful norm, confront it with truth and tradition that protects, as well as ensure that culture evolves to uplift women and girls, and not to hurt them.