Members and leadership of Elenusonso Community and environs of Oyo have called for more actions to eliminate harmful practices and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), describing the trend as shameful.

The people made the call during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the various leaders of the community, including traditional and religious rulers.

The event was witnessed by key officials of the Oyo ministry of women affairs and poverty elimination and representatives of Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), amongst other prominent natives.

The event was organised by WARIF, in partnership with UN Women, under the UN Leap Project.

Representatives of the community, including Aare Atunluse, Oluwatelemi Babajide; Mogaji Odufemi, Adewale Adedeji; Bishop Oriola Salam and Aare of Elenusonso, Ademola Adetokun, vowed to resist any form of VAWG in the area.

In a speech, Mr Babajide said that the community was also against harmful practices, such as sexual violence, abuse, exploitation, child labour, maltreatment of minors, and Female Genital Mutilation.

Other practices, he said, are denial of rights to life, wife battery and all forms of domestic violence.

“The engagement aimed to identify, review, and reform discriminatory customary laws and practices inimical or harmful to members of our community and its environs effective this day, June 14.

“This declaration against the above reflects our unwavering commitment to upholding human dignity, ensuring gender justice, and fostering a society founded and grounded in peace, respect, sanctity of life and shared humanity,” Mr Babajide said.

He said that any member of the community found culpable or defending any of the harmful practices shall not only be considered deviant or uncooperative but also sanctioned.

He said that “such actions, attitudes and behaviours would not only be sanctioned, but also attract appropriate traditional and legal sanctions, including banishment”.

“Again, we commit ourselves to working closely with the Government of Oyo, WARIF, UN Women, and other stakeholders to develop, uphold and implement community-based guidelines that will define practical steps, roles and responsibilities in effecting and actualising this declaration of esprit de corps.

“These selfless efforts will include community education, engagement, awareness, campaigns, survivor support and accountability mechanisms,” Mr Babajide said.

In a remark, the programme lead, WARIF, Adeola Pott-Johnson, said that what culminated into the declaration by the Elenusonso Community started way back with a series of engagements with various stakeholders.

“The purpose of this event is to make that declaration so that the entire community members can understand that these habits or these practices are no longer entertained in this community.

“So, we have stakeholders in the community, including the local government chairman, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, as well as law enforcement officers giving the support.

“This is to ensure that this declaration takes place and it’s being grounded here in the community as well,” Ms Pott-Johnson said.

In a message of goodwill, the commissioner for women affairs, Oluwatoyin Balogun, underscored the need for healthy living and family life for a healthy society.

Ms Balogun, represented by the director, Women’s Programme, Ogunyemi Diya, said the community was the first to make the bold step toward the elimination of VAWG and harmful practices in the state.

The event had representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Muslim Community, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in attendance.

Others were leaders of various groups and residents of Elenusonso and environs in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo.

(NAN)