A group, Society for the Improvement of Rural People, SIRP, has urged security agencies to ensure the strict prosecution of Gender Based Violence, GBV, perpetrators.
It made the passionate appeal during a seminar organised for officers of the Nigeria Police and their counterparts from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Enugu.
The Executive Director of SIRP, Dr Chris Ugwu said findings showed that several cases of GBV ended up at the point of report, with families of victims opting to settle the matter out of court.
Ugwu, however, urged the security agencies to ensure that victims’ families are encouraged to allow the law take its course on perpetrators.
“Culprits are hardly jailed; victims are asked to see it as a family affair.
“So, what we are doing today is to raise the awareness of front desk officers, to ensure diligent prosecution of GBV perpetrators,” Ugwu said.
He, however, observed that men were equally exposed to domestic violence, “but they tend to die in silence owing to what the society will say.”
In her presentation, the Program Manager, SIRP, Mrs Chioma Evelyn Joseph said the essence of the seminar was to raise awareness within the NPF and the NSCDC on GBV.
She added that the seminar would equip front-line NPF and NSCDC personnel with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to handle GBV and enhance their capacity in providing survivor care and assistance.
She described GBV as an abuse of power, stressing that, “whether the power is real or perceived, the survivor of the abuse believes the power is real.”
She identified factors contributing to GBV to include: “Harmful cultural and traditional practices; Gender inequalities and discrimination in all aspects of
life (social, economic, religious and political); Entrenched institutional arrangements that are patriarchal; Beliefs and attitudes, as well as gender norms that support male superiority and entitlements.”
Mrs Joseph highlighted types of GBV to include sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, verbal abuse, cultural/religious abuse, economic abuse, urging the security agencies to rise to the occasion.
She further harped on the need for the usage of correct language when reporting on GBV, stressing that anything to the contrary could lead to stigmatisation, secondary victimisation and retraumatization.
