The president of the Defence and Police Officers Wives Association (DEPOWA), Oghogho Musa, has called for collaborative efforts towards addressing the menace of sexual exploitation and abuse, especially in military barracks.

Ms Musa made the call at a seminar on “Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse” to mark her one year in office as the 15th president of DEPOWA on Saturday in Abuja.

She said that the menace of sexual exploitation and abuse was prevalent in society, adding that many occurrences have gone unreported without the exemption of the barracks community and its environs.

According to her, the event was an opportunity to discuss the issue and echoed the voice of Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General, in stating that “sexual exploitation and abuse have no place in our society.”

“We recognise the severity of the consequences and we aim to work towards reducing its prevalence within our communities and immediate environs.

“We also thought it necessary to sensitise the youth on the menace of drug abuse and how to avoid it so they can have a promising future.

“In all of these, it is important to know who you are, know what you want to achieve in life and develop some personal values that will guide you in achieving your goals,” she said.

Ms Musa said that resource persons have been brought in to guide barracks teenagers and youth to be able to adopt the lessons from the sessions into their daily lives and eventually attain the future they desired.

She pledged unwavering support to any victim who reports any form of sexual exploitation or attempts to be initiated into the use of illicit substances within the barracks domain.

She called on appropriate authorities to investigate and address the same  when any of the menaces were reported.

“Indeed, perpetrators ought to be held accountable,” she said.

The DEPOWA president said the event was organised to celebrate the association’s significant milestone, reflect on its achievements, acknowledge its challenges and look forward to the future.

She said the DEPOWA had, in the past year, done as much as it could to make positive impacts in the lives of women and youth, especially the vulnerable within their sphere of influence.

“As we all know, DEPOWA is the melting pot that unifies wives of serving officers’ in the Armed Forces and the police.

“I am glad to note that we have witnessed remarkable achievements from the various spousal associations that make up DEPOWA and by God’s grace, we will continue to impact lives within and outside the barracks communities in diverse ways.

“The activities of DEPOWA within the past year have focused on adding value to the lives of women and youth, especially in the areas of healthcare, fitness, education, agriculture and skills training.

“All of these align with my vision of “Seeing Women and Girls Become Productive and Contributors to Family and Society Driven by Deep Sense of Values and Hard-Working Spirit.”

“We will not relent in our efforts to keep touching lives in ways that are necessary,” she added.

One of the resource persons, Chika Anozie, said that alcohol, illicit drugs and substance abuse have a negative impact on young people.

Ms Anozie, who delivered a paper titled “The Risk of Teenage Drug Abuse: Prevention and Awareness,”  urged youths to take charge of their environment, circle of friends, and peer pressure.

According to her, there has been a 20 per cent increase in drug use in the past 10 years and Africa will experience the largest growth in absolute numbers of drug users, with four of the 10 drug users in Africa being youth by 2030.

On her part, Olajumoke Jenyo, who presented a paper titled “Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: Prevention and Response,” said that two of every 10 male children have been sexually abused.

She said that more sensitisation was required to address the menace of sexual abuse in society, saying that more girls have been victims of such abuse unreported.

(NAN)