FIDA Tells Violence Victims To Speak Up

 

... Grants Free Legal Aids

Ayu Esuku | Fountain Newsbreaker 

The Ekiti State chapter of the International Federation of  Female Lawyers (FIDA), has charged victims of Gender Based Violence GBV, to speak up in other to get help before the abuse becomes fatal.

The body mentioned it has also granted free legal services to secure justice for  victims of rape, domestic violence, child trafficking and other GBV acts in the state. 

FIDA said the cases that were reported to it between December 2021 and February 2022 were enormous and had  been  addressed following  intervention, mediation and litigation procedures to halt the barbaric acts and get justice for the victims. 

The Chairperson of FIDA Ekiti state chapter, Mrs Oyinade Olatunbosun, said this yesterday,  at separate GBV sensitisation rallies held at Erinmope and Ilawe Ekiti.

Olatunbosun said FIDA, had composed GBV committees in some towns to interact with the people and halt the upsurge of rape, child labour, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, child trafficking, forced and teenage marriages.

The lawyer stressed that the cases of Gender Based Violence GBV is very high in the state, therefore the first thing people must do is speak up, and make formal reports to the committees.

She also noted that the legal fees for  GBV was free: "We have handled  several cases for  women who were neglected by their  husbands. Through our interventions, those men have now taken up their responsibilities'.

Olatunbosun charged parents to protect their children against societal evils to prevent their future from being derailed. 

The GBV Committee leaders in Erinmope and Ilawe Ekiti, Chiefs Michael Awoyemi and Maurice Adaramodu,  commended FIDA for its giant strides in gender mainstreaming and for confronting  oppression of female gender.

They said: "Whoever that is engaging in slavery, forced marriage, rape, keeping children of school age away from school, is liable in the face the law.  The steps to be taken to deal with such situation has been spelt out by FIDA'.