Ebonyi Commissioner moves against GBV menace

 

 

NATIONAL PANEL REPORTERS

Ebonyi Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Deborah Chinwe Okah, has called on stakeholders in different sectors to collaborate with the ministry to end the menace of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the state.

The Commissioner made this call in Abakaliki during the inauguration of the Ebonyi State Technical Working Group on GBV, in order to fast-track efforts for timely response to the needs of women and girls survivors of GBV.

She said that the struggle to end GBV in Ebonyi State has rigorously taken a new dimension owing to the persistent increase in the prevalence rate of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) as occasioned by the prevailing situations beyond human control.

 Mrs Okah further noted that the ministry in collaboration with the office of the wife of the state governor, Chief Mrs Rachel Ogonna Umahi, has been on the top list of  advocacy and sensitisation campaigns to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

She equally appreciated the UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women, for their support which has strengthened the ministry to build capacity of relevant actors on GBV and WAWG, to position them for more effective and efficient service delivery towards saving lives of women and girls.

The Commissioner however, inaugurated the Technical Working Group which were drawn from health, legal, and psychological sectors, with some terms of reference which included to improve access to quality lifesaving and well-coordinated GBV response services for survivors and to strengthen the capacity of the state systems to enhance effective and coordinated GBV response to survivors.

The group was also assigned to strengthen the sustained capacity of GBV actors to deliver quality delivery services such as medical services, psychological services, access to Justice, safety options and security, as well as material services, among others.

Mrs Okah therefore, enjoined them to actively carry out the assignment given in order to liberate the women and girls from violence in the state.

In a vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Florence Nwali, appreciated the Commissioner for giving them the opportunity to serve humanity and also assured her that they will work passionately and deliver with satisfactory results for the benefit of mankind.