A Non-Govermental Organisation, Protect the Child Foundation (PTCF), has called on Kogi state government and religious leaders to urgently address Sexual and Genders Based Violence in Kogi state.
The NGO a non-profit organization with the support of the French Embassy made the call while embarking on a three-day advocacy programme on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in Lokoja, Kogi state capital.
The organization’s team led by its Executive Director, Barrister Mrs Elizabeth Ebulejonu Achimugu, had a brief meeting with the leadership of the Market Union before taking its campaign against SGBV to the market.
According to her , sexual and gender-based violence is a reality in Kogi state among urban and sub-urban dwellers, noting that ignorance is one of the enablers of SGBV in the country as a whole.
She stated that “the organization is primarily committed to fighting for the eradication of Child Sexual Abuse through the provision of relevant information, emergency, legal and other services so as to guarantee a gender-violence free society.
“We took to the market to create awareness on sexual and gender-based violence, encourage speaking out, stop the shaming of survivors/victims and solicit support for protection of the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities.
“Sexual and gender-based violence is a reality in Kogi state among urban and suburban dwellers and ignorance is one of the enablers of SGBV in the country as a whole”.
She said that the organization was out to educate the public so as to dispel ignorance by sharing the right information, so everybody in Kogi state can be safe and feel safe stressing that this would help reduce the number of perpetrators and encourage people to report cases of abuse.
The NGO called on traders to be part of the fight against SGBV as they are relevant stakeholders.