Gender Based Violence: Gov Eno Approves N30m To Fight Menace

By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom governor, in his determination at ensuring that Gender Based Violence(GBV), is controlled and possibly eliminatedin the State, has approved the release ofN30 million for the fight against the menace.
The funds were released to the State Gender Based Management Committee, which is chaired by the Akwa Ibom first lady, Pastor Patience Umo Eno.
Recall that the committee was set up years ago by government to work towards total elimination of social and cultural practices that enable gender based violence, make recommendations for the state’s plan of action against GBV, stimulations to improve the welfare of victims and GBV survivors, support the work of NGOs, donor and multilateral agencies working to end GBV as well as proffer a synchronised approach to address all forms of violence against persons in the state.
The gesture of government was made known, Thursday, by the secretary, Akwa Ibom State Gender Based Violence Management Committee, Mrs Emem Ette Esq, at a 2-day workshop at EMMJM Hotels and Suites, Uyo, organised by Women United for Economic Empowerment(WUEE), a nongovernmentalorganisation in the State, for representatives of 20 women groups in Ikot Ekpene and Oron Local Government Areas on the project titled, “Promoting the culture of zero tolerance for violence against women,” and funded by Urgent Action Fund- Africa.
Ette, who doubles as director, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response Department in the Ministry of Justice, recalled that the committee had requested for N22 million for this year’s activities on gender-based elimination which is always fixed for the month of June every year, but that the governor magnanimously released N30million, above the committee’s request.
She said the governor, approved the sumthrough the office of the First Lady, Pastor Patience Eno, under her pet project, Gender Initiative For All (GIFA), for the funding of the committee’s fight against GBV as it engages in this year’s gender based violence awareness campaigns in local government areas of the State, with the assurance of increasing the funding if the State House of Assembly approves the proposal for budget increment for next year.
Ette, who mentioned another support of government towards the fight against GBV as building a 66-bed shelter to accommodate GBV survivors, amongst others, thanked the governor for supporting the committee to achieve its goal in the State.
On the part of the committee, Ette said the committee has established GBV Response Units in local government councils, Sexual Assault Referral Centres(SARCs) in Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas of the State, created Male Advocate Role Models, amongst other things.
The committee’s secretary made known that the committee is currently handling 1,467 GBV cases, which are mostly spousal battery, out of which there are no cases against men except a few on boys, noting that there are men who oftentimes are beaten by their wives but they refuse to speak out due to ego, urging men who are victims of violence to always speak up for protection and safety purposes.
According to her, out of the 1,467 cases, the committee is investigating 410 cases, and has made 53 convictions,while 302 cases have been withdrawn.
She listed their challenges to be lack of expertise in handling GBV cases, unwillingness of victims to follow through cases of GBV, lack of mobility, as well as settlement of GBV cases by village heads, which she said was wrong.