A CALL FOR ACTION

END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

The High Prevalence of Rape and other forms of violence within and beyond COVID 19 Pandemic is unacceptable

In solidarity with women in Nigeria and Worldwide, Generation Initiative for Women and Youth Network (GIWYN) and partners join in seeking justice to victims of rape and demand for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Campaign in defense of women’s freedoms, choices and dignity. Thousands of women and girls are subjected to sexual violence injustices; the World Health Organization reports that approximately one in three women have experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime, and 7% have experienced it by someone other than a partner. It is arguably Violence Against women including rape is the world’s most pervasive human rights issue -- cutting across cultures, ethnicity, gender identities and sexual orientations, religions, and socio-economic status. The United Nations recognizes it as a human rights' violation and explicitly addresses it in various international policies and frameworks, most notably the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality (SDG5), with target two of SDG5 specifically addressing violence against women: “Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation should be eliminated.” In Nigeria, sexual assault is a growing issue. According to the United States National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, in Nigeria, 31.4% females adolescents of sexually active, respectively, have forced sex (rape) at their first sexual encounter . Though Nigeria has the “2015 Violence against People’s Prohibition Act (VAPP Act),” which prohibits all forms of violence against persons which should be implemented in all the states .

Orange The World :Say No to Violence Against Women and Girls

Pic by GIWYN