Amnesty International has urged stakeholders to protect women from femicide and other forms of abuses and violence.

Femicide is the killing of a woman or girl particularly by men, on account of her gender.

Joshua Oyebode, coordinator, supporter’s group of Amnesty International, Osun state, said this in an interview with journalists during a sensitisation rally, on Saturday in Osogbo.

The United Nations International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated across the globe every March 8.

Mr Oyebode said that creating awareness against femicide would go a long way in ensuring the safety of women from any form of violence.

He said that no fewer than 149 women were killed across the country in 2024 due to violence against women.

“The need for collective responsibility in tackling the menace of femicide becomes paramount to ensure a violence free society for women.

“The Nigerian constitution, in section 33, guarantees the right to life of any individual and we have to look at the implementation of such laws to avoid any form of unlawful killings, especially women,’’ he said.

Akinbode Oluwasegun, chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Osun chapter, said that the wrongful killings of women in the country must be stopped by the relevant authorities.

He said that this would come about through implementation of tough policies to guarantee their rights.

Mr Oluwasegun explained that femicide cases were on the high side compared to that of the killings of men, especially in Nigeria.

According to him, women are weaker vessels who need to be treated carefully with dignity and respect by the opposite sex.

“The rate of killings of women by men for rituals every day is on the increase and such must be stopped. They are harassed, maltreated and abused for unjust reasons”.

Omowunmi Akanbi, a member of Teen’s Foundation, a group, said the numbers of women killed in January across the country were many, highlighting the need for increased awareness to curb femicide.

Ms Akanbi said the government must come up with vibrant policies to tame the menace, which had continued to put fear in the hearts of so many women across the country.

She, however, said that the killing of a woman could also be synonymous to killing a nation because of their key roles in society.

 (NAN)