The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mr. Godson Okeoma has commended a non governmental organization, Centre for the Right to Health (CRH), for leading the campaign on ending violence against women with disability.
He gave the commendation during a four-day capacity building workshop organized for select stakeholders in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
Mr. Okeoma lamented the spate of violence on women with disability in the state and lauded Centre for the Right to Health on the effort made so far to ensure an end to the scourge.
While noting that the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare is at the forefront of ensuring vulnerable members of the society are protected against any form of violence, Mr. Okeoma called for greater commitment to fight gender based violence, even as he advised other non governmental organizations to emulate Centre for the Right to Health.
He expressed optimism that with the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law in the State, violators have no hiding place.
The Permanent Secretary however, urged victims of gender based violence particularly, women to speak up whenever their rights are trampled upon.
Contributing, Director, Law Reporting, Ministry of Justice, Barr Mrs. Wendy Nnenna Uto said CRH was complementing the efforts of the Ministry of Justice on gender-based cases.
She said that the state government frowns at violence of any form and called for more awareness on GBV, particularly on women with disability while reassuring that the ministry won’t hesitate to prosecute offenders.
Earlier, the Programme Director, Centre for the Right to Health, Mr. Bede Eziefule said the aim of the workshop was to build capacities of participants, to help address cases of gender based violence on women with disability in their respective agencies.
Participants at the training were representatives of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Federation of Muslim Women, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Joint Association of Men and Women With Disability, the Police and others.