By John Ugo, Awka
Two Non Government Organizations (NGOs) with emphasis on gender based issues, Women Aid Collective (WACOL) and Fifty-Fifty Action Women on Tuesday stressed the importance of ending gender based violence and harmful cultural practices against women in Anambra State.
The meeting which held in Awka, the State capital, frowned at the high rate of domestic violence , including harmful cultural practices targeted at women in the society.
Speaking during a town hall meeting organized by Ford Foundation, the bodies advocated jail term for those who beat their wives, engage in harmful cultural practices against women.
Coordinator of WACOL, Prof Joy Ezeilo, who was represented by Egodi Igwe in an address said the essence of the town hall meeting was to seek the help of various groups in the society, to end harmful practices against women.
She said, “Cultural practices against women is rising in Anambra. We are here for interaction to see how these can be stopped.
“We have various members of the society here, including; traditional rulers, town union presidents, youth leaders, women leaders and many others. We are here to hear everyone’s experience and see how we can stop them.”
University dons, Professors Ogugua Ikpeze and Prof Chinyere Okunna from Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Paul University respectively, who lectured participants at the town hall meeting listed several types of violence against women.
Ikpeze in her presentation said; “The VAPP (Violence Against People Prohibition) law is fully operational in Anambra today. As I speak with you, the special offences court is operating in Anambra, and always sitting.
“I urge you to run away from imprisonment as a result of engaging in violence. The court is fully operational, you may be lucky to get away with fine, if you are brought before the court, but you have to know that once you pay fine, you’re an ex-convict, and this may deny you a lot of things, so you must be careful.
“Some types of violence against women listed included; female genital mutilation, child marriage, male child preference, betrothal, widowhood practices, forced marriage, child labour, among others.”
Other groups also gave suggestions on how such harmful.practices against women could be stopped, and ways they can help to stop such practices in their various localities.
Traditional ruler of Akweze community, HRH Igwe Christopher Okpala prpmised to continually fight against gender based violence in his community.
He said that under his watch, several widows have found justice in areas of cultural practices that they deemed harmful.
