Featured, Women
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Nigeria along with the global community has marked the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, on November 25
| By Maureen Chigbo | Dec. 8, 2014 @ 01:00 GMT |
NIGERIA joined the world to observe the international day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25. Some non-governmental organisations, individuals and other United Nations bodies in the country staged activities ranging from seminar to rallies to draw attention on the evils of violence against women and its negative impact on the society in general.
Participants at the seminars in some cities in the country spoke against the evils of violence against women and children. They said such actions as sexual abuse, trafficking of girls and some traditional norms weigh the victims down physically and psychological and impacts negatively on their contributions to the development of the nation. Some of them called on the governments at all levels to take actions to end violence against women in all the sectors.
On the global scene, the World Health Organisation, WHO, marked the annual event by raising awareness and accelerating progress towards ending the global scourge of violence against women and girls. A statement in WHO’s website estimates that one in three women globally have experienced either physical or sexual violence from a partner, or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their lives, and that levels of violence against women and girls remain extremely high.
The annual event sparked off a 16-day activism on the problem and will end December 10, which is also a Human Rights Day to mobilise support for the cause of ending violence. Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign invited people across the globe to lend their support and to the ‘Orange Your Neighbourhood’ initiative which implies wearing or using the colour orange to symbolise a brighter future without violence.
WHO marked the beginning of the 16 days of activism with events and activities based in Geneva, Switzerland on November 24 and 25. It included a panel discussion on The Role of the Health System in Addressing Violence Against Women at the Palais des Nations, which involved Member States, a Geneva-based NGO (Solidarité Femmes) and Marleen Temmerman, director of WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research.
WHO also launched the field-testing version of a new clinical handbook Health care for women subjected to intimate partner violence or sexual violence. This handbook aims to help health-care providers respond safely and effectively to women and girls who have been subjected to violence – including physical, sexual, or emotional violence, whether by a partner or by any other perpetrator.
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