By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo
The alarming rate of gender-based violence against women, and even men, in Nigeria, particularly in the South West region, has once again been brought to the fore.
Journalists have been urged to report incidents of gender-based violence within their communities to the appropriate authorities to ensure proper investigation, arrest, and prosecution of offenders.
Speaking in Osun State on the topic “Influencing the Influencer to End Gender-Based Violence,” the guest speaker and former Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Mr. Ismail Omipidan, charged media practitioners to ensure accurate and timely reporting of all gender-based violence cases.
Omipidan noted that one of the most effective ways to curb the menace is for victims and concerned individuals to speak out and report any form of harassment or abuse to the relevant authorities.
According to him, raising awareness and encouraging reporting will help tackle the problem and reduce it to the barest minimum.
He blamed the rising trend of gender-based violence on victims’ reluctance to speak up and report such incidents to security agencies or organisations that champion the fight against domestic violence and sexual abuse.
He noted that many victims, especially those abused as minors, had been failed by such systems.
Omipidan further challenged victims of these heinous crimes to be bold enough to speak out, warning that silence only worsens their plight.
He urged the government, judiciary, and all relevant institutions to rise to their responsibilities in curbing the rising tide of gender-based violence.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Osun State Chapter, Mrs Bisola Awodola, commended the organisers of the programme, describing the increasing number of both reported and unreported cases of gender-based violence as worrisome.
She expressed concern over reports of elderly men, some as old as 80, allegedly raping young girls as little as six years old, describing the situation as completely unacceptable.
Mrs Awodola explained that NAWOJ had been actively involved in campaigns against gender-based violence and urged journalists to give more attention to reporting such cases whenever they occur.
She said this would enable relevant organisations to follow up and ensure that culprits face the full weight of the law.
Also speaking, another guest speaker, Mrs Fatima Aduke Obelawo, charged media institutions and journalists to take the reportage of gender-based violence more seriously, describing it as a means of informing and educating the public about social ills.
She lamented the increasing number of reported and unreported cases of violence against women and men, saying the situation was getting out of hand.
Mrs Obelawo called on victims, their families, and friends to come forward and report such cases, stressing that offenders must be made to face justice. She described gender-based violence as a heinous crime that must never be met with silence.