President of the Foundation, Ambassador Victoria Ihesiulor stated this at a one day workshop as part of activities of this year’s 16 days of Activism against Gender Based Violence, in Abuja.
Ambassdor Ihesiulor who explained that the workshop is aimed at removing barriers that hinder women and girls from achieving their full potential and build synergy with sister organizations to create a formidable network for the welfare of women
She explained that women face systemic inequalities, limited political participation.
“We acknowledge that every barrier broken reveals new challenges. Today, women face systemic inequalities, limited political participation, and the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV). Children, too, are denied their right to education and subjected to various forms of violence—psychological, emotional, economic, social, and physical” she added.
The President of the Foundation further emphasized that the workshop would Foster a deeper understanding of gender based violence, GBV, its root causes and Identify sustainable solutions to these challenges by Educating women and others on the legal frameworks available to eliminate GBV.
“Despite being less than a year old, we have taken bold steps to make our vision a reality. We have carried out impactful projects in Kano, Kaduna, Akure, and the Federal Capital Territory, demonstrating our determination to break barriers, strengthen the rights of women and children, and address systemic inequalities” she stated.
Ambassdor Ihesiulor optimistic that the collaboration with the UN Women will not just give a seat but a voice that represents the dreams and aspirations of Women and Girls globally.
“Let us use this platform to reaffirm our resolve to build a world where women are safe, empowered, and celebrated. Together, we can turn our shared vision into reality, creating a brighter future for all” Ambassador Ihesiulor.
On her part, the Deputy Representative of the United Nation’s Women, Dr. Nesreen El- Nolla explained that the partnership is to support all efforts ensure that Nigerian women and girls are free of violence and fears.
“One of every three women in Nigeria suffers from certain forms of violence this are the only figures reported while many figures still go unreported because of fears” Dr. El- Nolla noted.
Dr. El- Nolla who stressed that lot of efforts is being across the country which include the domestication of the violence against persons prohibition act added that more work still need to be done in order to really end violence against women.
“A lot of efforts is being carried out across the country which include the domestication of the violence against persons prohibition act which is a vital milestone to address gender based violence, but we think that despite all those efforts more work still need to be done in order to end violence against women” Dr. El- Nolla stressed.
“We count alot on the role of traditional and religious leaders in the communities, we count a lot of the role of the men allies in helping to protect the rights if the women” she emphasized.
The Theme of the workshop is Unite to Eleminate Violence against Women with participants drawn across the 36 states of the Federation.
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