By Lizzy Carr
Stakeholders in the fight against sexual and gender based violence in Bauchi have urge government to be sincere in tackling the menace of SGBV.
A chief magistrate of the first grade Safiya Musa stated this at a one day Bi- annual shared learning dialogue on public private partnership engagement (PPPE) towards ending sexual and gender -based violence held in Bauchi.
She said government owns the machinery needed to end SGBV and thus must employ it.
“Government is a key partner in this fight, the issue of jurisdiction needs to be addressed while punishment should be given a cross board irrespective of status”.
The magistrate said to achieve success in the fight to minimise SGBV in the society the private sector must be involved .
The PPP engagement is to foster partnership, look at areas where the private sector can come in to support survivors.
” We have been talking about this menace but it still with us, this we must work together from the home, community, schools and the entire state, speaking with one voice towards ending SGBV”.
Bauchi State chairman Network of Civil Society Jinjiri Garba said though the Stated has established the SGBV steering committee and a sexual assault referral centre, the fight against SGBV is been challenged by the issue of jurisdiction.
” Bauchi was among the first states to sign the VAPP, but it could not be implemented because the judiciary observed some lacuna in the law, it was taken back to the Assembly for amendments and now there is the issue of jurisdiction”.
Gender Desk Officer Bauchi State Police Command Pukuma Safiyo urge the stakeholders to work towards the prevention of SGBV.
Programme office IKRA Foundation for Women and Youth Development Huzaifa Abubakar said the organisation is a member of the sexual and gender -based violence network cluster under the Scale USAID Project that seeks to consolidate advocacy on effective justice delivery for survivors of SGBV in Nigeria through effective implementation of the VAPP Law and the Administration of criminal justice law.
He said the Foundation believes in collaborative action to ending SGBV in Bauchi which is why it engaged various stakeholders to rip minds and come up with workable solutions.
Other stakeholders that include traditional leaders, the media, Human rights Commission and FIDA called for sustained awareness among communities towards the prevention of SGBV in Bauchi.
