The First Lady, Hajia Aisha Buhari has called for the establishment of a special court to expedite prosecution on Gender Based Violence against women.
She made the call in Abuja at the opening of the 2nd annual conference of the Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum with the theme: ”Sustaining Action On The State of Emergency Against Sexual And Gender Based Violence”.
Hajia Buhari maintained that the establishment would Speed up Justice and punish perpetrators of rape and other violence against women.
The first Lady also stressed the need for State Governments to remove all hindrances against girl child education.
The Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi expressed the forum’s commitment in supporting programmes that would advance the course of women in the country.
Dr Fayemi who acknowledged the role played by the wives of Governors in ensuring implementation of campaign promises said State Governments would make resources available to implement their various initiatives aimed at ending Violence against women and girls.
Governor Fayemi promised to meet with the six state governments that are yet to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act for necessary action.
Earlier, The Chairperson, Nigeria Governors’Wives Forum, Mrs Bisi Fayemi while highlighting some of the challenges facing the Organization called for the establishment of Gender Based Violence Survivors Fund to enable the Forum identify with victims and raise awareness.
Mrs Fayemi maitaned that the Forum would continue to collaborate with Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as development partners to protect the rights of women in the country.
In a remark, Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen urged Governors to ensure that more women were elected into elective positions in the 2023 General Election.
She commended the unity among the Governors’ wives by declaring a state of emergency on violence against sexual and gender based violence.
She said Ministry was working with the Federal and States ministries of Justice as well as the Civil Society Organizations to ensure women emancipation.
The conference provided opportunity for some of the Governors’ Wives to highlight some of their achievements at the state and community levels.
Reporting by Kayode Ogundare; editing by Adeniyi Bakare