The Lagos State Ministry of Justice and Office of the Public Defender (OPD) marked the International Day on Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls last weekend in Lagos. ROBERT EGBE and RASAQ IBRAHIM report that the event, with the theme Orange The World. #HearMeToo, affirmed the state’s commitment to tackling gender-based violence.
Kikelomo Woleosho was seven years old when her neighbour, ‘Uncle Deji’ introduced her to a new version of children’s role playing game, Mummy and daddy.
But this version, involved the innocent child playing Uncle Deji’s real life secret bed partner.
Woleosho, now 31, narrated her ordeal as a survivor of domestic violence during the 2018 United Nations’ 16 days activism for the International Day on Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, organised last Friday by the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD).
She said: “My childhood was stolen from me at seven years when my neighbour, uncle Deji raped me under the pretext of ‘mummy and daddy play.
“And from that day forward, I began to masturbate and it started with an unbearable urge to fondle my genitals.
“Several other nights my uncle who came to visit us would roam my body with his hand, particularly my thighs and pubic area.”
Woleosho told the shocked audience that the incident continued, when her aunt’s husband joined in.
“Orange The World.#HearMeToo”
Woleosho’s story was not much different to that of other survivors of sexual and domestic violence who narrated their experiences at the event organised by the Office of the Public Defender in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.
The programme themed, “Orange The World #HearMeToo” was organised to raise awareness and highlight the scale and true nature of the Violence against women and girls (VAWG).
But, according to Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem SAN, the state was prepared to give everything to eliminate the scourge.
Kazeem said there would be justice for all survivors who came forward, irrespective of social class, economic status, gender and religion.
‘Free legal services to over 1,059
survivors of domestic violence’
Lagos, the AG said, had recorded huge success in its bid to offer free legal services to the less privileged with a special focus on the socio economic rights of women, children and persons with disability.
He said between January and September, the OPD gave free legal services to over 1,059 survivors of domestic Violence.
He explained that the services ranged from obtaining restraining orders against perpetrators, making reports to the police with a view to ensuring arrests and prosecution of the offenders, filing for divorce and giving psychosocial support to the survivors.
‘Culture of silence’
According to Kazeem, violence against women and girls “is one of the most widespread and devastating human right abuses across the globe.
“One of the biggest challenges to ending violence against women is the absurd and repugnant culture of silence.”
He said the government had “put substantial measures in place to ensure that violence against women and girls is brought to an end once and for all.”
He listed some of these measures to include the enactment of Domestic Violence Law, 2007 (which is currently undergoing some review), to protect the rights of Survivors of domestic violence”.
Kazeem said: “The Family Courts and Sexual Offences Courts have been established for speedy dispensation of justice for survivors of Domestic Violence.
“And there has been an increase in the number of convictions in these courts.
“The state has taken pragmatic action by raising the bar with effective campaign awareness across the electronic, print and social media.
“This is geared at bringing to the fore, the forms, nature, dangers and consequences for any would be perpetrator of any act of violence against any woman in the State with the collaborative efforts of Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) which OPD is a member.”
Challenges
Kazeem lamented that one major challenge hampering the fight against domestic violence is that ‘influential members of the society are encouraging these horrendous acts of violence by pleading on behalf of the perpetrators of domestic and sexual offences.”
“Causes, consequences of gender inequality”
OPD Director, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, said the United Nations’ (UN) international Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women “is a day set for Governments, Government agencies, International organizations and non-governmental organizations to raise public awareness of violence against women.
“It has been observed on November 25 each year since 2000. Like previous editions, the date marks the launch of 16 days of activism that will conclude on 10 December 2018, International Human Rights Day.”
Adeyemi lamented that there were “deep rooted social norms, attitudes and behaviour that discriminate against and limit women and girls in the society” and that these “were all causes and consequences of gender inequality.”
She said gender based violence affects families, schools and workplaces and holds back society from reaching its full potential.
The Director added: “Beyond raising awareness, we at the Office of the Public Defender are always constantly looking into new ways to promptly and urgently address gender based issues and crime that affect women and girls as they are reported to the Office.
“As part of the initiative to bring violence against women and children to the barest minimum, the Office recently set up a Family and Child Justice Unit that specializes in representation for women and children in civil and criminal cases that involves them with the sole aim of ensuring the protection of their socio-economic rights.
‘Collaborate, speak out’
Adeyemi observed that there had been a spike in recent years in the number of these crimes recorded by the police, the DSVRT and the Office of the Public Defender as a result of multi agencies collaboration.
She urged stakeholders to step up the collaboration.
“To do this we need to make tackling violence against women and girls everybody‘s business. From health providers, to law enforcement, to employers, social media, friends and family we all need to play our part.
“By allowing women to disclose violence as part of their everyday interactions we can support earlier identification and intervention to stop violence and abuse from escalating to critical levels.
“By improving confidence in the criminal justice system we will be able to bring more perpetrators to justice as well as doing more to rehabilitate offenders
“One of the biggest challenge to ending violence against women is the absurd and repugnant culture of silence. In recent time women are struggling speak out. Hence I am charging everybody present here today whether man or woman to ensure that they speak out against any violence against any girl or woman and to also remind us that the law has made us mandatory reporters hence we are obligated as residents of this State to report any form of violence.
“No woman should have to live in fear of violence. No man should think it acceptable to perpetrate violence against women. No child should grow up in a home where violence is an everyday occurrence. Working together we can make that a reality in Lagos State.
Advice for parents
Woleosho noted that she experienced such ordeals because of lack of parental responsibility and care.
She advised that children shouldn’t be left unsupervised, regardless of how busy they are, parents should find a way to create space for their children to thrive under close supervision.
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Olasoji Akinbayo, of the Area D Command, Lagos, pledged that the Police would collaborate with other stakeholders to curtail gender based violence.
He said that men and women need to be sensitised on the consequences of gender based violence and “the government should enact enabling laws to minimise domestic violence.”
