By Usman Walin Gungura, Bauchi
Wife of the Bauchi State Governor who is also the Chairperson of Bauchi State Action Committee on Gender Based Violence, (Dr.) Hajiya Aisha Bala Mohammed, has siught support and partnership of families, traditional leaders and the media involvement to tackle gender-based violence.
She said while speaking at a media chat on gender-based violence in her office on Monday, at the Government House, that the committee was set up to promote justice and support survivors.
She commended the media, traditional rulers, former commissioners, advisers, and security agencies for supporting the committee’s job saying that media’s role in advocacy and public enlightenment was invaluable.
“This interaction will help enlighten the public on challenges in seeking justice for victims, particularly delays caused by constitutional and procedural issues,” she added.
According to her, the committee plans to launch outreach programmes and awareness campaigns in the coming months to sensitize citizens and prevent GBV cases from escalating.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to Governor Bala Mohammed on Gender-Based Violence, Hajiya Sha’awanatu Yusuf, said the committee has extended sensitization to all 20 local government areas and restructured into four sub-committees to speed up its response.
She said, inaugurated in April 2020, the committee focuses mainly on rape and related offenses.
The SA informed that the membership of the committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women Affairs, the Police, the National Human Rights Commission, traditional and religious leaders and civil society groups.
The four sub-committees and their roles are to ensure prevention by sensitizing communities on GBV and share contact numbers for reporting cases, protection by reaching out to survivors after a case is confirmed to provide assistance, prosecution, by reviewing reported cases with police, lawyers, and medical personnel, and pursue action where evidence exists, as well as collaboration and partnership by working with NGOs to mobilize support.
Sha’awanatu said the committee has made a lot of achievements since inception, and complainants submit written reports, after which all parties were invited to a hearing for fair resolution.
“The committee was established as part of the state government’s response to rising concerns over sexual and gender-based violence,” she said.
