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By Amos Odeh, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State government has promised to curb all forms of social violence against women and the maltreatment of children in the state.
Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Women, Children and Social Development, Mrs Ayi Ujile, stated this during an interview with journalists in Yenagoa during the week.
She maintained that recently, women through the support of NGOs, women professional bodies and faith-based organisations had had to stage protests across various states in the nation to register their grievances against the wanton social violence’s meted out to them by men in their respective domains.
According to the permanent secretary, following government’s resolve to ending these ill treatments facing women of all age brackets in the state, successive administrations have made concerted efforts in bringing those infringing on women’s rights to face the wrath of the law.
Speaking against the backdrop of violation of children’s rights, she mentioned that with the domestication of the Child rights act by the state Assembly last year maltreatment of children and wards will soon be history.
She stressed that the state-owned orphanage home is functioning ultimately, just as she stated that the administrators of the orphanage, in consultation with appropriate government ministries, have also rescued new born babies from mentally-challenged mothers in the streets of the state.
“We’re more than ever willing to stop the menace of social violence against women in this state,” she said.
“We’re aware that very presently women of the state joined their peers from other states to replicate same protest against rape, sexual harassment and other ills meted out to women”, she added.
“With the domestication of the Child’s rights act by the state Assembly and with the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act, VAPP, which has passed through second reading, we believe sooner or later our women and children will be more protected by the government and our laws,” she stated.