State Partnership Against Gender Committee Restates Commitment to Persons with Disabilities..... Condemns Rape incidences in the country

The Committee of State Partnership Against Gender (SPAG) on EMPOWER Project has reiterated its commitments to ensure that Persons with Disabilities, particularly Women and Girls in Disability category are empowered and given adequate protection as necessary in Osun.

The Committee with the objective of Social Inclusion and Eliminating Gender Based Violence in Osun, Chaired by Mr Aremu Stephen Akinyele made this known at the quarterly meeting of the EMPOWER Project Committee in Osogbo, the state capital.

He added that the activities of the Committee was almost grounded by the Coronavirus pandemic in the country, adding that this has also helped to restrategize available options in the discharge of the aims and objective of the EMPOWER Project.

Aremu appreciated the committee for the essential service delivered, particularly to Women and Girls with disabilities and other vulnerables during the Covid 19 lockdown in the state, added that combined body of Society For Life Changers and Good Parental Care SoLife and United Nations Entity for the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) will not relent in its effort to ensure that the rights of women and girls with disabilities are protected irrespective of the global challenge.

The SPAG Committee Chairman used the medium to condemn the alarming increase in rape incidences ravaging the country, he expressed concern over the plight of Persons with disabilities, with emphasis on Women and Girls with disabilities who fell or may fall victim of rape.

He imagined that if a full bodied girl, lady or woman was attacked, what then can a woman or girl in the category of persons with disability who also fall under such kind or rape attack do?

While calling on government and security agencies in the country to improve on the discharge of duties, he appreciated Osun State House of Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, RT. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, for passing into law the Anti Kidnapping and Law Against Rape bill to protect the health, life and safety of the women against people who engage in such evil deed. 

He said that the law states that a rapist shall be sentenced to life imprisonment while an attempted rape shall receive a sentence of 14 years imprisonment, adding that death sentence awaits any rape perpetrator whose victim dies due to rape incidence.

Aremu called out to all stakeholders to power the new law produced to help various law enforcement agencies and justice agency in the state to serve justice to offenders without delay.

The SPAG Committee reviewed its activities and also re-strategize on modalities to ensure prompt service delivery, towards social inclusion and protection of Women and Girls with Disabilities in the selected local governments in Osun.

In her vote of thanks, the Vice Chairman of the State Partnership Against Gender Committee, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Folasade Odoro appreciated the Committee members who are representatives of key stakeholders of the EMPOWER Project for the proactiveness in the dissemination of their duties.

The representative of the Nigerian Police Force Osun Command, added that every one should brace up and ensure that the rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities in the various Communities of the state are protected to the maximum, particularly from violence, rape and other vices, she added that the effort of the government and security agencies should be reciprocated and supported towards ensuring maximum success and barest incidences in the State.

Other members of the Committee are drawn from Ministry of Youths and Special Needs, National Humanitarian Commission, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Civil Society Organizations, Ministry of Justice, Head of Special Needs School/Ministry of Education among others.