Forum of Nigeria Women in Politics, FONWIP, has urged Nigeria and other members of the United Nations to finalise and ratify the first draft global treaty to end violence against women and girls.
FONWIP President, Hon. Florence Gbinigie who made the appeal during a meeting to mark 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence in Benin City said the draft was released by the “Every Woman Treaty” for a safer world for women and girls.
Hon. Gbinigie, a former Commissioner for Women Affairs in Edo State, said the need for a new global instrument on violence against women has been advanced by Every Woman Treaty.
“Women’s rights are human rights. One out of every three women is abused every day. Women and girls are not protected from every form of violence. In that vein, there’s a global coalition called Every Woman Treaty, which is made up of more than three thousand women’s rights advocates, including eight hundred and forty organizations in one hundred and forty-seven countries working for a safer world for women and girls worldwide. They launched a global binding framework to eradicate the most pervasive human rights violation,” she disclosed.
According to Hon. Gbinigie who was represented by Hon Eghe Favour Oseki during the FONWIP end of year meeting, the coalition during these 16 Days of Activism published a first draft of the treaty after eight years of extensive research and consultation with experts.
She said the 16 Days of Activism programme against gender-based violence is marked each year and this year’s campaign theme was “Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls”. She added that in every country and culture, more actions are needed to ensure women live free of violence and coercion.
According to her, “This global intervention requires nations to adopt proven interventions, which will lower rates of violence worldwide. It is evident that 38 percent of female murders are committed by male intimate partners according to WHO report. Also, an estimated 640 million girls and women alive today were married in childhood, according to UNICEF.
“It is also of note that 79 percent of humans trafficked are women and girls according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. As of today, only 14 countries have equal rights for women. These include, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxemburg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
“It is therefore of utmost importance to stop violence against women and girls in Nigeria to make the society a better place to live in,” she added.
The executive director, Christabel Otueroro Foundation, Onome Otueroro gave a lecture to the FONWIP members on the theme of the 16 Days af Activism against gender-based violence. Participants were given foodstuffs, which includes rice, beans, tomatoes, groundnut oil and others for the Christmas.
