The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment towards ensuring the eradication of Sexual and Gender-based violence in the Country.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami stated this at the inauguration of the Inter-Ministerial Management Committee on Eradication of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Abuja.
Mr. Malami noted that the Government was deeply perturbed about the worsening cases of sexual and gender-based violence in the Country and blamed the increased number of reported cases on the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown measures which was supposed to curb the virus.
Mr. Malami said one of the mandates of the Committee was to conduct a review of all the existing laws and policy instruments touching on offences of rape, child defilement and gender-based violence.
Mr. Malami stressed that Sexual and Gender Based Violence is not only a grave violation of human rights of victims as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, as amended, but also prohibited by several domestic laws and International human rights instruments.
Meanwhile, representatives of the United Nations and the European Union pledged to support the Federal Government’s effort at eradicating sexual and gender-based violence in the Country.
Modupe Arotolu
