The wife of Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has decried the high prevalence of Gender-based Violence (GBV) in the state as well as in the country.
While appealing to victims of the menace always speak out on their ordeal, Betty, stated that keeping quiet always emboldened perpetrators to further engage in the ugly act.
The Ondo Governor’s wife stated this, during a press briefing to flag-off the 16 Days of Activities Against Gender-based Violence tagged ‘United Activism to End Violence Against Women.’
She maintained that the worst crime for anyone to commit is to be violent against women and girls.
She stressed that sensitisation on the menace should be taken to the grassroots.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu on Gender, Olumide Falana, said everyone one must be involved in stemming the tide of gender based violence across board.
The issue of Gender Based Violence has once again come unto the front Burner in Nigeria following recent happenings and killings of both gender by their spouses across the Country.
Several Stakeholders and groups have been making the case against the phenomenon of Gender Based Violence, Rape Sodomy and Others.
Many have also called for the enactment of stiffer laws and penalties against the perpetrators of Gender based Violence in the Country.
Though Ondo State has been gradually increasing awareness and Work on ensuring that Gender Based Violence is combatted within the State with a very recent killing of a Woman by the Husband’s Brother in the State a Case in point.
But Lagos State has always taken the lead since 1999 of making Laws and moves against Gender Based Violence across the Country with a Special Court established for the purpose.
It is expected that the Ondo State Government may also be able to institutionalise Laws against Gender Based Violence in the State.
