The first lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki, is fully immersed in fighting gender violence in Edo State. From her foots tool in the state, she has mobilized her colleagues and other Nigerians to support the campaign against gender violence. In Edo State in particular, she has attended several courts to solidarize with gender violence victims whose cases are in court for hearing. Also, her strident voice while advocating zero gender voidance tells you her sincerity, and passionate engagements in curbing the incidence of gender violence in Edo State and Nigeria as a whole.

On March 25, 2022 she carried her advocacy on gender violence to the MAN AROUND TOWN programme of Independent Radio, Benin where she used the radio station to reach out to millions of listeners at home and abroad. Her pidgin was impeccable, her eloquence captivating, brilliance astonishing, her confidence exciting and humble, simplicistic elegance overwhelming.

Below is a rehash of her radio engagement in queen’s English on this day.

Introduction

Gender violence is when a man or woman commits a barbaric action against the other. Men and women are both guilty of gender violence. But men do it more because they are more masculine. They have muscles and strength with which to oppress women although we know there are some women who beat their husband. So, they are not sometimes the weaker sex.

Efe Osafuoman lanchor of the programme, you asked me what women were protesting for at Abuja recently. You supposed to know. Let me tell you. Our gender bills on fairness, equality and justice were thrown the bulls reconsidered and possed. For instance, women what at least 35 per cent affirmative action in Nigeria. We demand allocation of certain positions to us in the National Assembly, other places and in political parties. Also, women are requesting that a foreign husband to a Nigerian woman should get automatic Nigerian citizenship. After all, a foreign house-wife to a Nigerian gets this citizenship. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. It is important our society and law are blind to gender bias just like the symbol of justice in court premises where a blind-folded woman is holding a scale of balance.

Let me state here that 70 percent of votes cast at elections that determines men’s victory are from women. I have video evidence of men even making this statement. So, it is high time men recognize our critical role in politics and governance. Or else, we will vote them out of power.

You talked about Mrs. Sarah Jubrd who only got one vote when she contested the primaries of her party in 2015. well, it all has to do with women being their worst enemies. What I call PULL DOWN SYNDROME in us. Our advocacy now is for PUSH UP SYNDROME. We are now ready to support our women as long as they are credible and can give Nigeria quality representation.

As things stand now, we are prepared to build the capacities of our women so as to give them the requisite skills for leadership in whatever position they choose.

I agree with you, Efe Osafuoman, that we have women in the national assembly. But their male colleagues don’t give them a chance. They sideline the women there. All this marginalization must stop.

Main Issue

I did not come here to talk about what happened in Abuja during our women’s protest. But I have to answer the question you asked me. Now to the reason why I am here. It is to enlighten, inform, educate and sensitize Edo people on the VIOENCE Prohibition Law. At the federal level, there is such a law which we have domesticated in Edo State.

The gender violence against Uwila, the 100-level microbiology student of UNIBEN during the lockdown of CORONA – 19 Virus period, pained me a lot. It drove me to launch the campaign to stop this wicked act of gender violence. Similar incidents elsewhere in other states in the South-West fired my determination to begin the campaign. What I did was to network with other women and first ladies in my capacity as chairperson of South-South Governors’ Wives forum to start the campaign.
That is how the campaign all started. Also, at the state level, I invited all the wives of the local government chairmen. Mrs. Onoban and Mrs. Maryam Shaibu were all there to strategize with me on how to stem the rising tide of gender violence in the state. Our meetings produced a video which we aired. When my husband saw it, he was impressed with our effort to fight gender violence. He joined our campaign and sponsored the video on national television. Later, the state government institutionalized the campaign against gender violence with a law. So, our work got legal backing.

From this humble beginning, I broadened the advocacy against gender violence nation-wide. The result is that today there is a network across Nigeria fighting gender violence.

Mrs. Pullen Tallen, minister of women affairs, took our campaign to the federal executive council and the council and President Muhammadu Buhari endorsed it. This further gave impetus to the anti-gender violence campaign. Today, 34 states have domesticated the law prohibiting gender violence. This is a big leap because initially when the campaign started only 5 states had a law prohibiting gender violence.

In Edo State, our campaign has led to an upgrade of the law to expand its scope. In the amended law, more gender violence crimes are listed. But let me mention some of them. Now, there is economic gender violence if you refuse to provide your family with feeding and housekeeping money. If you give or collect bribe to cover up a gender violence, it is on offence. And, formerly, a magistrate court handled gender violence cases. Hence, punishment was light. This is no more the case. A high court is now to try gender violence offences with the power to impose heavier penalty. This will serve as a deterent to persons who want to engage in violence.

We have a SEXUAL ASSAULT REFERRAL CENTRE, Benin set up to handle gender violence. It is a one-stop place for addressing cases of gender violence. This is because the centre has well-trained specialized staff for dealing with victim’s challenges on receiving his or her complaing immediately after violation by an offender. From start to finish, each victim’s case can be handled by the professional team of civil society organization, police, lawyers, medical doctors, guidance counselors, gender ministry officials as well as other diligent staff.
To help the centre in its work, victims are advised not to take their bath. As soon as they are violated, they should report to the nearest police station or preferably the centre. Once you bath after a sexual abuse, you have removed the evidence against the accused person required for prosecution after treatment. Our goal is not only to mange the victim but to prosecute the offender and punish the person for his or her bad behavior.

THE SEXUAL ASSAULT REFERRAL CENTRE, also called VIVIAN OGU CENTRE, was domiciled at Ogbe Nursing Home, Benin. But it is now located at a shelter built by government near Motel Benin Plaza, Benin. Government’s plan is to build a similar shelter in all the 18 local government councils of the state in the foreseeable future. When the shelters are in place, cases of gender violence can be quickly reported there instead of the referral centre in Benin, my office or the ministry of gender affairs.

You asked for the referral’s centre numbers in Benin. Here they are. First one is 08002002020. The second one is 08054461139. Once you dial these numbers, you will get quick response. A victim can call the lines or you can do so to report gender violence.

I need to point out that services at the referral centre are free. You don’t pay money to handle your case even to the prosecution stage. Everything is free including treatment and hospitalization if the need arises. Let me add here that we also have a selected team of legal experts at Edo State Ministry of Justice for prosecuting gender violence offenders to ensure proper trial, conviction and sentencing. So, no real offender can go Scot free.

Response To Callers

The law prohibiting gender violence is not only for women but for everybody including men and children. If a man is sexually assaulted, he also needs the protection of the law. He should follow the same procedure of reporting to the referral centre for help. Men suffer violence also in their wives’ hand although women suffer more from gender violence from men.

Someone phoned in to ask if a man has committed gender violence if he impregnates a woman and runs away. If the man and woman are legally married, then what he has done is gender violence. However, if there is no marriage contract between the man and woman, the situation becomes a difficult case to handle. It becomes an open-ended matter.

Another issue to be considered is whether rape or sexual assault or mutual consent of both sex partners led to the abandoned pregnancy. So, you can see that the issue here is not a straight forward case.

The lesson here is simple. Our woman should live a virtuous life so as not to fall into the hands of men outside marriage.

Efe, you asked if the law prohibiting gender violence protects against female circumcision, widows subjected to inhuman treatment and the practice of women not inheriting properties. Yes, the law covers all these things and more.

You also demanded to know what will happen to our campaign against gender violence when my husband and I leave office. Be assured the campaign will go on because there is a law backing it. The law institutionalizes the campaign to outlive any government in office.

We are angry with the way women are treated and marginalized in modern Nigeria. That is why we decided to take the campaign against gender violence to this level it is in Edo State and Nigeria.

Be warned. The law prohibiting gender violence frowns at half-naked women parading our streets. Indecent exposure is categorized as gender violence attracting six motnhs’ imprisonment or a fine of N100,000. So, mothers advise yourself and your daughters who go about with half-bottoms and tops with three-quarters of their breasts outside. The law is now there to catch up with your daughters.

I recall that I was in one church where, I saw some ladies in mini dress. After the service, I urged the Pastor of the church to stop the bad dressing other-wise I won’t attend the church again.

A caller said the law prohibiting gender violence is against our culture and ancestral traditions. This is a wrong observation. Culture and traditions are dynamic. They change from time to time.

Modernity demands we change the old ways we do things. For instance, do we trek from place to place again? Is it not vehicles, motor-cycles and aeroplanes we use today? Life is dynamic. So, we will always make laws that suits us in modern times. Culture and traditions must move with the times. Only God’s laws are unchangeable, not those of men.

Final Word

Everyone of us must stop acts that cause gender violence or sexual assault. Husbands and wives should learn to live in amicable peace because home abandonment by either partner is a crime under the gender violence law.

Tuke-Tuke bus drivers, conductors and street traders should know the law penalizes anyone of them who sexually molests women or girls while pretending to get their attention as passengers or buyers. A word is enough for the wise. I am on radio, not television, so that my message on gender violence can reach as many homes and persons as possible. Edo people, thank you
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Michael A. Odigbe is of JUBILEE RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION CENTRE. BENIN EDO STATE 08030717341, 08132167531.