The Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law Implementation Committee (VAPPLIC), Anambra State, has charged the various community leaders of the state, to secure Protection Order for the survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and with the order, keep the vulnerable survivors, safe from further harm and violence.
VAPPLIC gave the charge during a One Day Training on Effective Use of Protection Order in handling GBV cases, for the Community leaders of Anambra South Senatorial Zone, at Agba Village Town Hall, Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area, Anambra State.
The training which was supported and sponsored by International IDEA through its Rule Of Law and Anti Corruption (ROLAC) Program, Anambra State, had women leaders, youth leaders, town union leaders, Igwe cabinet members and vigilante officials from the seven local government areas that made up the Anambra South Senatorial Zone in attendance.
Speaking at the event, the Co Chairman/Coordinator, Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law Implementation Committee, Anambra State, Mrs Lovet Uju Onyedilefu, said the training was to train the participants on systematic method of handling GBV cases in line with the Violence Against Persons (VAPP) Law 2017.
She explained that the participants are expected to after the training, handle all gender based violence cases in their communities using the VAPP Law, adding that according to the law, there are punishments for all perpetrators of GBVs.
Pointing out that Gender Based Violence, is the maltreatment or abuse of a person because he /she is vulnerable, the coordinator flayed those who had been raping and defiling the vulnerable persons to desist from such inhuman violence, lest they face jail term of life imprisonment and the accompanying fines or both punishments.
For her part, a Protection Officer and Assistant Social Welfare Officer of Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, Anambra State, SW Chinyere Nwafor, described Protection Order as a Legal Framework and a very important part of the VAPP Law.
She noted that the Protection Order which would be obtained from the Court, would keep the perpetrator away from the vulnerable survivor, and protect survivor from more harm.
Citing Section 30-34 of the VAPP Law, SW Nwafor identified forceful ejection of the spouse from the house, rape, defilement, isolation, harmful traditional practices and widowhood practices, among others, as some of the criminal offences for which a Protection Officer or others individuals could obtain a Protection Order for the vulnerable persons.
The Committee equally charged all witnesses and victims to report every rape case to the State CID, and the victim to be taken to the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), Ntasi Centte, General Hospital, Enugwu-Ukwu for immediate free medical attention.
Communities were directed to set up GBV Response Teams in each of the community and provide temporary shelter for the survivors. The Response Team which would be made up of both males and females, must be people of integrity, who would while upholding truth and confidentiality, handle all gender based violence cases in the communities.
The GBV Response Team would among others, include the Community women leaders, one representative of the Igwe’s cabinet, two representatives of the vigilante, who would be one male, one female, a teacher from each of the Community primary and secondary schools and three representatives of religious bodies, which would include major Christian bodies and traditional religion (where it exists) and a representative of the physical challenged. The Team members would be between 16-25 members in each of the community.
In his remarks at the event, the President General of Ekwulobia Town Union, Chief Azubuike Ezechukwu (Uzommiri Ekwulobia), described the sensitisation training as a welcome development.
Chief Ezechukwu stated his conviction that the impact would go a long way to curb spouse battering, rape and other gender based violence cases in communities.
