Distinguished, concerned Nigerians rising from a day’s panel discussion have joined their voices to call for an urgent end to the inhuman act and practice of meting out violence on women, including other form of ill-treatments on the girl child in Nigeria.

According to them, the need to end violence against women is so globally urgent and needful hence the United Nations (UN) declared every November 25th globally as the “International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.”

Speaking variously at the event put together by a pro-women and girl’s rights protection non-governmental organization, the Association of Women in Governance (AWIG), to commemorate the 2021 event in Lagos State, South-West Nigeria, the panelists all joined their voices to call for an urgent end to violence against women in Nigeria. They challenged government at all levels in the nation, organizations, civil society bodies and the society generally to assertive in putting an end to the inhuman and demeaning practice.

They also called for appropriate legislation aimed at restoring and entrenching the dignity of the female gender in Nigeria and protecting her against all forms of violence – domestic, family, societal and institutional stressing the need for continuous sensitization by governments at all levels and appropriate agencies of government as well as in the media and Nigerian schools.

AWIG President and Chairperson Dr. Mrs. Bridget Gold, a Media Peace Ambassador of Journalists for Justice, Peace and Developmental Initiatives (JoJPDIN, Nigeria) led a five-member panel of discussants – Hon. Funmilayo Tejuosho, Moderator; Mr. Olaleye Folorunsho Bolaji, an Assistant Director at the Lagos State Ministry of Education; Mrs. Onabanjo Gbemisola Fatima, Chief Education Officer, Education District VI, Lagos State Ministry of Education; Mrs. Love Agbebaku, Proprietress, Elm Montessori School, Iju-Ishaga, Lagos State; and Mr. Michael Imong, Protocol Officer, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Ikeja.

The international theme for 2021 commemoration was: “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now”, with AWIG domesticating it for the occasion to read, “End to Violence against Women: When?”

The Guest Speaker was Margaret Osakwe, a distinguished Insurance practitioner, Agency Manager at American International Insurance Company (AIICO) and also a Media Peace Ambassador of JoJPDIN Nigeria.

A side attraction to the day’s event which took place at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Schools’ compound in Ikeja, was an inter-collegiate schools’ debate on the Topic: “Women Are the Cause of Domestic Violence,” involving 5 Lagos-based schools – Greenbells College, Krystalbal College, Dominican College, Boxworth College and the host school – Murtala Muhammed Airport Secondary School, Ikeja, Lagos.

Prizes were later handed over to the three winners of the school debate by the Chairperson Mrs. Bridget Gold.

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