In a patriarchal society like Nigeria, where men’s dominance has looked to threaten the existence of the women folk, the rising cases of gender-based violence also remain a social setback facing the modern day society.


Women who are the most vulnerable leaving them exposed to different kinds of obnoxious cultural and social practices like female genital mutilation, rape, trafficking, domestic Violence among others.


It is against this backdrop that the Anambra State Ministry of Social Welfare, Children and Women Affairs in collaboration with the non-governmental organization of wife of the governor of Anambra State, Caring Family Enhancement Initiative, CAFE, has used the annual to look at ways of curbing the this menace.


The annual event, a convergence of women from all parts of Anambra State, has become unique for its concentration on issues facing women and working out modalities for solving them.


Wife of the governor of Anambra State, Dr Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, who joined in the conversation through a zoom platform, noted that God has created all man to stand equally before him, thus the necessity for treat one another with equal humaneness, and quit actions that degrade the human gender.


She noted that the fight against gender-based violence demands the commitment and sacrifice of all persons, from the government to the religious and community levels.


Dr Mrs Obiano also reminded the women of the need to remain cautious of the coronavirus pandemic and never lose guard of the protocols already mandated by the both the government and health care givers.
Addressing the gathering, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Professor Charles Soludo, spoke of the need for a designated law that protects women against battery with stiff penalties for offenders, and called for a campaign against the practice in schools, churches and other public gatherings. 


The Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Right Honourable Uchenna Okafor, represented by his deputy, Right Honourable Pascal Agbodike, stated that women remain an important pillar that hold the society strong, and such should be accorded every importance.


In keynote presentation, a guest speaker, Dr H.O.N Boash, whose lecture centred on the theme of the event “Sustaining the Fight Against Gender-based Violence”, frowned at the poor record of reported cases of the gender-based prevalence because of the social stigma that the society attaches to them.


He called for the formation of an advocacy group that would help carry out the campaign at grassroots levels.


The member representing Nnewi at the Anambra State House of Assembly, Honourable Nonso Okafor and Chairman House Committee on Gender and Children Affairs, urged the women to sit up in their running of home and training of children to raise a better society.


The Commissioner for Social Welfare, Children and Women Affairs, Lady Ndidi Mezue, in her address, noted that a sure way of sustaining the fight against gender-based violence is through sensitization, punishing of offenders and sustained economic empowerment so that people are able to make independent economic choices.
Earlier in an opening remark, the Anambra State Commissioner for Basic Education, Professor Kate Omenugha, noted that for the fight against genderbased violence to be sustained, women and girl child must be empowered.


She pointed to dangerous practices such as female genital mutilation, rape and domestic violence which have continued to thrive in the society, especially under the watch of parents and guardians, calling for a collective consciousness to ending the scourge.


The dignitaries also inspected farm produce and other household goods produced by women from each of the twenty-one local government areas of Anambra that attended the occasion.

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