Civil society groups in Lagos, yesterday, called on Governor
Babatunde Fashola to take urgent steps to address the increasing number
of rape and sexual violence cases against women and the girl-child in
the state.
They noted that rape and sexual violence were threats to women, and
obstacles to efforts to peace and gender equality in the society, adding
that it was always a violation of human rights and unacceptable in
today’s society.
At a rally organised by no fewer than 20 civil society groups in
conjunction with the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, which took-off
from Allen Avenue Roundabout, Ikeja and ended at Alausa, Programmes
Manager, Legal Defence and Assistance Project, LEDAP, Mrs Adaobi Egboka,
said: “The upsurge in the reported cases of gang-rape, child defilement
and other sexual offences have gone on unabated.
“We hope to bring, through awareness campaign, all perpetrators to
book. It is a call by a coalition of civil societies; especially those
related to gender violence and targeted at the young.”
The coalition charged the governor to initiate and set up
confidential investigative and prosecutorial procedures, in
collaboration with the judiciary and the police, to protect the identity
of survivors of sexual offences so as reduce the fear of victims coming
out to report as well as remove the burden of stigma and victimisation.
She said they collaborated with NYSC to reach out to the youths and
give them a chance to air their views because it was mostly young
persons who fall victim to the act.
The coalition urged the governor to take further steps to raise
awareness, institute best practice training for service providers,
monitor and document reports on victim support services to facilitate
rape response evidence based programming and sensitisation of citizens.
