Why Fed Govt set up committee on rape, gender-based violence, by Malami

From Eric Ikhilae, Abuja

Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami (SAN) has explained the motive behind Federal Government’s inter-ministerial committee on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Malami said the committee was constituted following the increase in cases of sexual and gender-based violence across the country.

He said although SGBV was not peculiar to the country, the government felt the need for a national response through a well-coordinated approach involving all relevant stakeholders.

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The minister, who spoke while inaugurating the committee, comprising experts from relevant government’s ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), including international development parties and civil society organisations, advised the committee to come up with a holistic solution to the menace.

Malami said: “Let me emphasise the point that the central goal of the committee is to carry out a holistic examination of the issue from the legal, socio-cultural and economic perspectives.

“The committee is to develop and implement effective approaches to prevent SGBV and scale up the responses to this crime by relevant MDAs when they occur with a view to ultimately eradicating it as a threat to our society.”