By ALEX UANGBAOJE, Kaduna
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Kaduna State, Sule Shu’aibu Esq, has pledged the ministry’s commitment to support the fight against Gender Based Violence (GBV), in the state.
Shu’aibu, noted that no right thinking person will see a woman being violated and turn away his face.
The Commissioner, made the commitment on Tuesday in Kaduna, during an “Engage Policy Moment to Conduct multi-stakeholder Intergenerational dialogue; that includes youths, Women & Girls, marginalized groups, leaders of faith and culture, CSOs & Service coviders engaging the VAPP and the GEO laws to consolidate on improved access to prevention, protection and justice to address issues of Gender Based Violence in Kaduna and Plateau States, organized by Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA).
WRAPA is implementing a two-year project titled “Legal and Social Empowerment Program on Women’s Rights in Kaduna and Plateau States”, with support from the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).
This project seeks to achieve the effective implementation of the VAPP ACT and passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill in Kaduna State, which seeks to eliminate gender-based violence against women and girls and promote equal opportunities for beneficiaries of the project intervention, (women and girls).
According to the Attorney General, “besides thanking you immensely, I pledged on behalf of the State that we will do our very best to collaborate, co-operate and support you in anyway whatsoever, wherever you deems fit that we can be supportive, please do not hesitate to knock on our doors.
“We will do our best, because there’s no well-meaning individuals in the society today that will see any woman being abused and will feel comfortable, not only women, but children or youths also.”
He thanked WRAPA and other stakeholders for all the efforts they have been putting in place, adding that the state won’t relax and watch the Civil Societies doing the work alone, promising that the ministry will stand by them.
Earlier, the Secretary General of WRAPA, Saudatu Mahdi, said the overall success of the project was as a result of the consistency that the Kaduna State Government has shown around working on GBV.
“Working with the CSOs in Kaduna in the past six years, we have seen consistency of commitment and political will and we are happy to celebrate that, and we will continue to work to ensure that the law (VAPP Law) as passed will now be of benefit to persons who are seeking justice.” She added.
She explained that issues of gender has gone beyond women alone and now includes different components like the youths and the vulnerables in the society, noting that the youths in Kaduna State now has a voice because the state has made it clear that there is no place for GBV.
The meeting was aimed to gaIvanize sustainable innovative strategies, roles, and commitment from youths, women groups community influencers and other participants to jointly continue the advocacy for the passage and implementation of the laws to create awareness.
Rejig existing referral pathway to create linkages between survivors and services providers and safe drilling downwards to the hard-to-reach communities of women and girls. learn through experience sharing amongst youths, leaders of culture and faith, CSOs, Survivors, and women’s groups.
To generate stories for re-strategizing on critical interventions for sustaining project aspirations and gains, supporting joint resolutions and harvesting survivors stories and improve visibility through youth engagement.
