Wife of the Taraba state Governor and CEO of Hope Afresh Foundation Taraba, Barr. Anna Ishaku paid advocacy visitations to Taraba High Court of Justice and State House of Assembly, Jalingo on an official presentation of letter on Gender Based Violence (GBV) against women and girls in the state.
Highlighting the high rate in domestic violence against women, the Governor’s wife said that demographics reports in 2018 revealed that 30 percent of women suffered domestic and sexual violence.
She stated that Gender Based Violence is a threat to life and public health which needs to be crucially halted.
She lamented that due to the weakening social structure, laws and norms, most offenders are not given severe punishments.
Anna Ishaku said the Hope Afresh Foundation Taraba recommends the need for declaration of a State of Emergency on Gender Based Violence, setting-up a GBV management committee and funding the GBV activities.
She also reiterated the readiness of her foundation to wage campaigns on GBV, offer skill acquisitions training to youths
and women to trim the number of unemployment in the state.
In his response, the State Chief Judge, Justice Filibus Andetur assured dedication of the judiciary to ensure cases of Gender Based Violence are given speedy attention.
The Chief Judge stressed the need for enactment of new laws to deal with such cases, recalling that of recent he sentenced a rapist to death for defiling a 10 year
old girl and subsequently killed her.
Filibus Andetur described the advocacy visit as timely and lauded the Governor’s wife for championing the course.
Similarly, Speaker of Taraba State House, Rt. Hon. Joseph Albasu Kunini explained that a proposed bill of law prohibiting all forms of violence and discriminations
against persons of gender based violence has undergone first reading by the state house.
The Governor’s wife was accompanied by the wife to the Secretary to the State Government, Josephine Jellason, National Council For Women Society, Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), Taraba State Chapter, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Representatives of Commissioner of Police, Road Safety Sector Command and other wives of top government officials.