GBV: Kwara Ministry of Women Affairs Partners EMPOWER Project to End Violence Against Women and Girls

Eradication of violence and empowerment of women and girls with disability, alongside inclusion have been identified as a necessity for survival of this category of persons.

To this end, EMPOWER Project of the State Partnership against Gender Based Violence SPAG, Committee for women and girls with disability at its quarterly meeting also paid advocacy call on the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Deborah Aremu at the Government Secretariat in Ilorin, Kwara state.

The SPAG Committee chaired and led to the advocacy visit by the Chairman BOT SoLife, Mr Aremu Stephen Akinyele stated that identifying areas of violence against women and girls with disability and ensuring their protection and provision is one of the objectives of the EMPOWER Project.

He appreciated Kwara state government under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his persons with disability friendly policies, he clamored that more favorable policies be put in place to totally eliminate violence against women and girls, who are described and known as the weaker vessel in the state. 

He reiterated that the Kwara SPAG will not rest on its oars, that it will advocate to all stakeholders and ensure that success is achieved to end violence in the state, he used the forum to charge the committee to brace up to the demand of availability for the marginalized ones in the society.

In her response, the Kwara State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Deborah Aremu reiterated the contribution of the state government on persons with disability issue, she affirmed that the government will continue to support persons with disability in the state.

She called on Kwara residents to always protect the challenged persons with disability, said that their status makes them vulnerable, and as such giving them a soft landing to survive despite their condition is the duty of all and sundry.

The Commissioner declared partnership with the EMPOWER Project, State Partnership Against Gender Based Violence on Women and Girls with Disability in Kwara, and she commended Society For Life Changers and Good Parental Care (SoLife) for the laudable development work.

The Kwara SPAG Committee members present at the advocacy call were drawn from the Ministry of Justice, Human Right Commission, Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, Deaf Women Association, and Non governmental organizations among others.