The Commissioner for Women Affairs in Cross River, Mrs Edema Irom, has shared that the state recorded 586 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) between January and October, News About Nigeria gathered.
Irom made this announcement during a news conference in Calabar on Saturday, officially commencing 16 days of activism against GBV.
The commissioner clarified that the reported figure represented only officially documented cases reported to the government, highlighting the likelihood of unreported incidents.
To address this pervasive issue, the ministry is collaborating with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to establish structures in all 18 local government areas of the state.
The aim is to facilitate the real-time reporting of GBV cases, thereby enhancing the government’s response.
Irom outlined the ministry’s strategy, indicating the establishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG) consisting of members from the ministry and NGOs.
This group convenes quarterly to assess and enhance the effectiveness of the measures in place to tackle gender-based violence.
The commissioner stressed that the 16 days of activism against GBV serve the purpose of raising awareness about the issue and commemorating people who have bravely fought against violence targeting women and girls globally.
This annual event, observed from November 25 to December 10, was instituted by the United Nations to honour the memory of 16 women from the Dominican Republic brutally murdered for their activism against gender-based violence.
Mr Remi Ajuga of the National Human Rights Commission, also present at the event, highlighted the significance of addressing gender-based violence, affirming that the activism period marks the initiation of efforts to combat this menace.
