Residents of Osun State have held a peaceful rally against Gender Based Violence (GBV) and called for implementation of the law prohibiting it.
The rally was part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence to awareness against any form of violence against women and girls in particular.
Market women, schoolchildren and members of non-governmental organizations (NGO) in the state joined the rally on the major streets of Osogbo, the state capital.
The procession which took off from the popular Nelson Mandela Freedom Park moved to Oke-Fia and terminated at Osogbo Grammar School was organised by the state Ministry of Women Affairs with supported of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Action Health Incorporated (AHI).
The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25 November to 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state, Rihanat Olubukola Olaboopo, the Coordinating Director in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Jide Falade and Gender Desk Officer in the Ministry, Lola Adewale, the Chairman House Committee on Women, Children and Social Affairs, Honorable Mulikat Abiola led the rally.
The Chairman of Network of NGOs in the State, Michael Ebofin, the UNFPA Gender/FGM Analyst Uzoma Ayodeji and AHI Program Officer, Arinola Alabi also participated in the rally.
Olaboopo said the campaign was necessary to educate people of Osun on the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law passed by the State House of Assembly and signed by the Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
She warned people of Osun to desist from indulging in female circumcision so as not to run foul of the law.
The VAPP law was passed by the Osun Assembly in July with the advocacy efforts of the Wife of the Governor, Kafayat Oyetola and other stakeholders and signed by Governor Oyetola in October strengthened the punishment for the practice of FGM with a four years jail term for violators.
Sections 7 of the VAPP law stipulates that a person who performs FGM or engages another to carry out FGM commits an offence and liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding four years or to a fine not exceeding N200,000 or both.