Henceforth any cultural practices that seek to put women and the girl-child in a violent situation, including child abuse, female genital mutilation, and wife battering will be treated as a capital offence in Cross River State with severe punishment
Governor Ben Ayade made this known during an interactive session with the State High-level Mainstreaming Coordinators and the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative in the Government House, Calabar, the state capital.
Ayade, who was represented by his Deputy, Ivara Esu, said the State Government will provide a conducive environment for all affected persons to get justice, assuring that Cross River State is among the few states in Nigeria that has implemented gender mainstreaming law.
Earlier in his remarks, the focal person from the Office of the UN-Resident Coordinator, Yinka Akibu, said United Nations has been partnering with Cross River State to curb any form of violence against women and girl-child.
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Other implementing partners which border on consequences and measures for ending gender-based violence, legal instruments for protecting women/girls as well as gender-based violence survivors/family were discussed during the interactive sessions where civil society and some NGOs were present.
Editor: Paul Akhagbemhe
