Reps to engage state assemblies on anti-rape laws

The House of Representatives has scheduled a meeting with Speakers of the state Houses of Assembly next week on how to ensure the domestication of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act and the Child Rights Act in all the states of the federation.

Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, said a virtual meeting had become necessary due to the recent escalation of sexual and gender-based violence in the country.

Gbajabiamila said this in Abuja on Friday when some sexual and gender-based civil society organisations visited his office, after protesting at the Force Headquarters against rising rape cases. He added that the House would consider working on sexual violence-related laws to make them conform to the current realities.

Some of the CSOs at the meeting include Women Advocacy Research and Documentation Centre, Education as a Vaccine, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme, Action Aid, Malala Fund, Heir Women Development, and Disability Rights Advocacy Centre.

Based on the demand by the CSOs, the Speaker also said he would mandate the House Ad Hoc Committee on COVID-19 to recommend groups working on sexual and gender-based violence for classification as essential services and be allowed to operate during restrictions and lockdowns.

Gbajabiamila said he was aware that about 27 states had yet to domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition and Child Rights Acts. He stated that the National Assembly would take the initiatives to its state counterparts.

He said, “I intend to write and communicate with all the Speakers of all 36 states, for them to be proactive about this piece of legislation. Hopefully, we will set that up sometime next week, to have a meeting, obviously via Zoom conference, with all the Speakers on a single agenda, which will be the issue of Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act and the Child Rights Act and the domestication of same.”

Source: Punch