The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, has decried the increase in child neglect, denial of education for the girl child and other related abuses meted on women in the thirteen local government areas of Ebonyi State.
The agency disclosed this at an event focused on ending violence against women, with the theme ”End FGM orientation and advocacy meeting with Justice service providers in Ebonyi state”.
Working in collaboration with the ministry of women affairs and social development, the National Orientation Agency, NOA, the children’s charity said the state must put an end to all harmful practices against the girl child.
He was speaking with Journalists shortly after the sensitization,
The state Director, UNICEF, Dr. Emma Abah, said they are working to eliminate violence against women and girls.
“We are working to eliminate violence against girl child and women, all harmful practices and abuse for instance; the female genital mutilation, FGM. We are equally working on how to eliminate rape, denial of education against girl child and other domestic ills treatment in the state”.
He lamented that violence against women and girls appears to be on the increase in various communities in Igbo land.
UNICEF, however, called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders of violence against women and girls in the state, especially those who violate the VAPP laws.
“We now ask police and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders because communities have done public awareness rejecting such harmful practice. There is VAPP law now, children rights acts that empower security agencies to arrest and prosecute offenders.
“Police can now arrest offenders of VAPP laws and handed over to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution” he added.
In a remark, a director in the ministry of women affairs and social development, Mr. Godwin Igwe said the ministry is doing all it can to eliminate all forms of harmful practices against women and girl children in the state.
He reiterated the readiness of the ministry to punish parents that expose their children especially the girl child to harmful practice or abuse in the state.
