The Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, has reaffirmed the commitment of the state government to intensify the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), calling for concerted and deliberate efforts to prevent, report and prosecute perpetrators of the menace.
Dr. Oyebanji, who is the Chairperson of the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, made the call in Ado-Ekiti while addressing members of the committee during a meeting held at her office.
She described the reported cases of GBV in the state as worrisome, revealing that reported cases was increasing at alarming rate, a development she said required urgent and coordinated intervention from government, security agencies, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations and communities.
The Governor’s wife stressed that the fight against GBV must remain a priority for the government and all stakeholders, noting that the increasing prevalence of violence against women, children and other vulnerable persons posed a serious threat to the wellbeing, dignity and security of the society.
According to her, the reported figure was not merely a statistic but a reflection of the suffering experienced by victims and survivors, adding that more proactive measures were required to address the underlying causes of violence and ensure that victims received adequate protection and support.
“The fight against Gender-Based Violence requires conscious, deliberate and sustained efforts from all of us. We must strengthen our prevention mechanisms, encourage victims and survivors to speak out, ensure prompt reporting and make certain that perpetrators are brought to justice.” She said.
Dr. Oyebanji urged members of the committee to intensify sensitisation and public awareness campaigns across the 16 local government areas of the state, particularly at the grassroots, to educate residents on the different forms of GBV, available reporting channels and the support services accessible to survivors.
She also called for stronger collaboration among relevant government agencies, security organisations, healthcare providers, judicial institutions, traditional rulers, religious leaders and community-based organisations to ensure a coordinated response to cases of violence.
The Governor’s wife emphasised the importance of protecting survivors from further trauma, urging stakeholders to strengthen referral mechanisms and provide victims with the necessary medical, psychological, legal and social support.
She further stressed the need for perpetrators to face the full weight of the law, as she said that accountability remained critical to deterring others from engaging in acts of violence.
Dr. Oyebanji assured members of the committee that the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji would continue to support institutions and agencies involved in the fight against GBV, particularly those that provide protection, intervention and rehabilitation services to survivors.
Earlier in her address, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, said GBV had gone beyond being a private family or social matter, describing it as a major threat to peace, security, human dignity and sustainable development.
Mrs Babafemi said no society could achieve meaningful and sustainable development when women, girls and other vulnerable persons continued to live under the threat of abuse, violence and exploitation.
She noted that the fight against GBV required a whole-of-society approach, stressing that government alone could not eradicate the menace without the active participation of families, communities, institutions and other stakeholders.
Other stakeholders at the meeting called for stronger preventive measures, improved response and referral mechanisms, enhanced survivor protection and deeper community engagement to address GBV effectively.
They also advocated increased awareness of existing laws and support systems, particularly among women and girls in vulnerable communities, while urging victims and witnesses to report cases to the appropriate authorities.
The stakeholders, including the civil society organizations further charged stakeholders to work together to ensure that perpetrators were held accountable within the ambit of the law, stressing that impunity could encourage the recurrence of violence.
The meeting provided an avenue for stakeholders to review existing strategies, identify gaps in the state’s GBV response mechanism and chart a more coordinated approach towards prevention, survivor support and prosecution of offenders.