Odukpani, Cross River State – Stakeholders and leaders of Ikoneto Community in Odukpani LGA of the State, last week, took decisive action against Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) within the community.
Speaking during a community dialogue session organised by Partners for Peace in the Niger Delta (P4P), the Village Head of Mbiabo Ikoneto, Chief Ekpenyong Okon, said his community is ready to ensure the safety of girls and Women, adding that aside from the provisions of the VAPP laws which seeks to protect the rights of the female gender, his community will also ensure these laws are kept and enforced.
He appreciated Partners For Peace for the enlightenment and appealed for more programmes and events of such magnitude to be brought to Ikoneto while appealing for more government presence in terms of educational and road infrastructures as well as economic empowerment for community members.
Speaking earlier, Dr Moses Abang, National Secretary of Partners For Peace, informed that the project which was aimed at reducing the rate of Violence Against Women and Girls in Ikoneto was sited in the community following data gathered from PIND’s “IPDU Early Warning, Early Response System.”
The Subchapter Coordinator of Partners for Peace in Odukpani, Chief Ekpenyong Akiba, also used the platform to educate participants on the dangers of some harmful traditional practices such as Early Child Marriage, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Widowhood Rites and Practices.
The Cross River State Coordinator of Partners For Peace in the Niger Delta, Mr Ukorebi Esien, who facilitated the Dialogue Session enumerated the various forms of Violence Against Women and Girls and the provisions in the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law which citizens could use to protect themselves.
He also called on Community Leaders to form community watch groups that will enforce the implementation of the decisions reached during the dialogue sessions.
High Point of the event was the inauguration of Ikoneto Community Champion Against VAWG and Ikoneto Subchapter of Partners For Peace.