Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, has emphasized on empowerment as the best solution to the menace of violence against women.
Obi made this submission in a statement on his X handle, (formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday, marking the Global International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
He condemned all acts of violence against women, saying according to the National Demographic and Health Survey, one in three Nigerian women have experienced physical violence by the age of 15.
He also noted that according to a 2019 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics, 68% of Nigerian women, young or old, have encountered emotional, economic, or sexual abuse.
According to him, the best way to eliminate violence against women is to grant them unhindered access to good education, empower them to take their rightful place in society and also provide good health care for them.
He stated, “Today, the global community marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and I join my voice with that of all lovers of peace and a violent-free society, to speak out against all forms of gender-based violence, especially against women in our nation.
“While every form of violence against any Nigerian deserves to be condemned, gender-based violence against women must not be given a place among us. The National Demographic and Health Survey reports that 1 in 3 Nigerian women have experienced physical violence by age 15 (NDHS 2013).
“According to a 2019 survey by the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, 30% of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, while a shocking 68% have encountered emotional, economic, or sexual abuse. This ugly trend of violence must not be allowed to continue.
“Violence against women can be eliminated by empowering Nigerian women to take their rightful place in society and contribute to our collective development as a nation. This, we can do by giving them access to education and healthcare which are most critical to national development.”
He added that though considered the weaker vessels, the political influence of women in the Nigerian polity cannot be underestimated.
“Reports also show that women are critical players in our politics as they contribute significantly to the voting number, but are often hampered by violence which can only be eliminated by playing by the rules of the law guiding the game”, he noted.
He concluded that to build a better Nigeria than its founding fathers’ dreams, violence against women must be abolished.
“To build the New Nigeria of our dreams, completely abhorrent of violence against women, we must understand that development is not gender-based, and we all, men and women, must unite, in love, to move our nation forward”, he said. (Vanguard)