The Ekiti State government has lamented that the exponential increase in the incidences of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the society are sending innocent souls into their early graves and shattering beautiful ambitions of the citizens.
The government called on critical stakeholders to coalesce efforts with Governor Biodun Oyebanji to defeat the festering menace of rape, sexual molestation, female genital mutilation and other anti-social conducts in Ekiti.
The Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, said this in Ado Ekiti, on Wednesday, at the flagoff of a two-day workshop against Gender Based Violence (GBV), organised by the Office of the First Lady, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government Affairs.
Speaking at the event, Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, said it was heart-rending to note that in spite of the huge investments by the government to dismantle the castle of GBV, the state has continued to experience cases of violence against women and girls.
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Afuye posited that the programme was significant on the premise that it would encourage the local communities to take action against violence and discrimination against women and the vulnerable girls.
“The menace of gender-based violence has destroyed so many families, shattered beautiful ambitions and sent many to their untimely graves. It is a monster that has ravaged many homes. Therefore, it must be fought collectively to a standstill in our society.
“It is, however, sad to remark that many are dying in silence for lack of knowledge on what to do or where to find assistance when encountering gender-based violence,” she stated.
She restated that Governor Dapo Oyebanji considers the female gender as strategic and indispensable to build a virile society, saying that this necessitated why key elective and appointive positions were allotted to them in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms.
“In the Executive arm, the Deputy Governor, the SSG, the Head of Service, as well as many Commissioners and Special Advisers are women. In the Legislature, the state has the highest number of female members in all the 36 Houses of Assembly in Nigeria while we currently have the first female Clerk since the creation of Ekiti State. ”
