The Restoration For The Dignity Of Womanhood (ROTDOW) in partnership with Women Advocates and Documentation Center (WARDC) funded by FORD Foundation on Friday, 2nd December, 2022 commemorated this year’s 16 days Activism Against Gender-Based Violence with a campaign at the popular Oja Oba Market, Akure.
The essence of the campaign according to the CEO, ROTDOW, Mrs. Olabisi Omolona is to raise awareness on Violence Against Women and Girls.
Leading the team, Chief Mrs Olujigba, the Iyaloja of Oja Oba, one of the
trained Traditional leaders by WARDC on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, encouraged women to Speak up in the face of abuse, urging them to report abuse in their neighborhood to OSAA-GBV, an agency of government and ROTDOW.
She emphasized that only a living soul will be mother to the children and if a woman dies in the face of abuse, the children will suffer.
Also speaking, Chief Mrs Okoro, another of the Iyalojas at Oja Oba condemned the act of using girl child to hawk in the market and in the neighborhood saying such acts encourages men to take advantage of them.
In separate remarks, Chief Olorunda and Chief Mrs Ajayi said female circumcision is an offence punishable under VAPP law and that every rape case must be reported respectively.
They also frowned at practices where the society protects the culprit because they are family, friends, neighbours, church members saying there will no longer be a hiding place for them in the state.
Some market men and women who spoke applauded WARDC and ROTDOW for the laudable program.
The 16 day Activism Against Gender-Based Violence will continue at Motor & Okada parks as well as other communities.
