The Nigerian Bar Association Human Rights Institute (NBA-HRI) on Sunday called for the adoption and implementation of the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015.

Chino Obiagwu, NBA-HRI chairman and Rashidat Muhammad, NBA-HRI secretary, said this in Lagos as the world begins a 16-day activism against gender violence.

Mr Obiagwu said the implementation of the act would assist in the elimination of violence against women and girls in society.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is celebrated every November 25. The day heralds the beginning of 16 days of activism to end violence against women.

The 16 days of activism against gender-based violence campaign runs until December 10, which coincides with the International Human Rights Day.

“The NBA-HRI calls on federal and state governments to adopt and fully implement the VAPP Act 2015, with the aim of punishing and preventing all forms of violence against women and children.

“NBA-HRI also calls on the National Assembly to urgently pass into law the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, which aims to domesticate the UN convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women,” stated Mr Obiagwu.

He added, “The VAPP Act was passed into law as a means to preventing and curbing gender-based violence, including domestic or spousal violence, traditional harmful practices such and other forms of sexual assaults, at workplace and schools, gender discrimination in employment, remuneration and public space.

“Though the VAPP Act was passed eight years ago, only a few states have adopted its provisions, and none of the states have set up the necessary infrastructure for its full implementation. NBA-HRI believes that such important law should be the priority of all governments and law enforcement and prosecution agencies at federal and state levels.”

Mr Obiagwu noted that for these 16 days of activism, the NBA-HRI would remind the government institutions and officials daily of the dangers of violence against women, especially sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), on the economic and social development of the country.

The NBA-HRI called on all ministries of justice at federal and state levels to establish specialised departments for the prosecutions of sexual and gender-based crimes.

(NAN)