In a concerted effort to combat the widespread issue of violence against women, a Legal expert, Anthonia Oshiniwe, called on the government to increase investment and urged survivors to speak out.
Speaking in commemoration of the World Elimination of Violence Against Women, Oshiniwe underscored the significance of the 16 days of activism and highlighted that the support garnered during this period would strengthen the commitment to preventing violence against women and ignite global advocacy efforts.
Oshiniwe passionately encouraged women and girls who have experienced violence to speak out and seek the assistance they need.
“My advice for women and girls is first we should speak out. That’s when we can get help. If we don’t speak out, we can’t get help, but once we speak out, we’ll be able to get help. And also, as a society, we should learn to support one another, not like when someone is speaking out, you would now castigate the person. Our support is very key in fighting violence against women and girls.”
She emphasized that society should rally behind survivors, offering physical, mental, and financial support rather than casting blame.
Addressing the broader societal impact, Oshiniwe pointed out that victims often experience severe emotional and psychological trauma, leading to depression and, in extreme cases, suicides.
“First, the mental state. Most times, these women are emotionally and psychologically down, which we don’t get to know. Depression and suicide are also part of the consequences. And most importantly, these women become unnecessarily useless because what you don’t have, you can’t give. So that means if we are dealing with people that are mentally drained in our society, now the question is how are they expected to bring up the upcoming generation? And that’s why till this moment, you find out that we are running a circle of a society that is mentally drained.”
The legal practitioner urged governments to align their actions with the theme of the year by investing more resources and providing the necessary support for survivors.
Oshiniwe called on individuals to step up and support various prevention strategies aimed at eradicating violence from society.
“My advice to the government is for the government to make all necessary requirements available. Most of our states don’t have resources to support victims or survivors of violence. So we want the government to help us with that. And for individuals, my advice is let’s all come out and speak out against violence against women and children,” he concluded.
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