Kaduna Ministry Moves To End Gender Based Violence

The Kaduna State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has convened a meeting with various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the state in a bid to share ideas aimed at ending gender-based violence.

Speaking at the meeting in Kaduna, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Umma K. Ahmed said gender based violence is an issue that has been bedeviling the society which the ministry is mandated to address.

She said the ministry decided to collaborate with CSOs because it cannot do it alone and called on other stakeholders to assist in addressing this menace.

“CSOs go into villages and other remote areas, they identify cases of gender-based violence in the society and report such cases to the ministries, the security agencies, the law enforcement agencies, NGOs and other religious organisations which is why we want to draw them closer to us in order to address these issues.’’

She also said the ministry brought CSOs as well as other security agencies together in order to bridge the communication gap which is encountered when a case comes up.

She assured that the ministry will not relent in its efforts of continuous sensitisation of community members on the need to speak up against gender based violence.

“People should also know that there are sexual referral centers, they can access such referral centers free.”

She called for more sensitization and fight against illiteracy to reduce cases of gender-based violence.

She advised mothers to keep an eye on their children especially girls.  “Monitor her movement, sit her down educate her on what she should know about her womanhood, any man that will call her to a corner, she should know that he has a negative motive.

She also advocated for sex education in both western and Arabic schools.

”We should not shy away from sex education tell our girls the good and the bad.”

She further called on religious leaders to inculcate sex education in their sermons.