The Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun today embarked on a street walk to mark the end of 16 days activism against gender-based violence with the theme: “Orange the world: End violence against women now”, staged by Ajose Foundation in partnership with Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) to sensitise women on the fight against gender-based violence.

          Speaking at the event, Mrs. Abiodun said the action was necessary because there is need for more efforts from all concerned parties due to the increase in cases of gender-based violence over the past years, stating that the situation needed to be addressed and dealt with critically.

          Mrs. Abiodun said that last year, in response to the public outcry sparked by some of the unfortunate cases, the President and all the Governors of the country declared a state of emergency in the country which made all the first ladies mobilize through the Nigerian Governors Wives Forum (NGWF) to come up with unified approaches to protect the victims of gender-based violence, while ensuring that the perpetrators do not go scot-free.

          She added that "one of such approaches was the enforcement of the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act across all states. Furthermore, a management committee of the VAPP was inaugurated by His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun to direct decisions in the right perspective.

          ‘’I am extremely proud of this committee which I sit as a chairperson for the pivotal work they are doing to stem the scourge of violence against persons in our State. Everyone in that Committee represented by different agencies and ministries is highly committed to ensuring that we fulfill our mandate to help guarantee the rights of victims and survivors of violence, under our laws in Ogun State".

          She further stated that "earlier in the year, we inaugurated the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Sagamu, as well as the Family Support Unit (FSU) spear-headed by the Ogun State Commissioner of Police in Ota. These establishments are meant to give victims the support they need to be able to report violence and seek justice from the relevant law enforcement agents’’.

          ‘’On their part, the SARC and FSU are equipped to operate at the grass-roots level working with communities to educate young girls and women to speak out without fear of victimisation and not suffer in silence. Speaking out is not a taboo and more often than not, speaking out will save many more lives and give victims the confidence to combat this ugly trend".

          Mrs. Abiodun urged community leaders, influencers, and all concerned stakeholders to join hands with government to make more impact in regards to affirming that there is zero tolerance for domestic violence in Ogun State, as she is determined to continue to empower the girl child by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to end all forms of inequality, as one of the factors required to end gender-based violence.

          In her remark, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Funmi Efuwape, appreciated the Governor for his support for women and women programs, requesting him for more particularly as regards fight against gender based violence.