VAPP Law, GEO Bill: WRAPA Tasks Kaduna Stakeholders on Implementation, Passage

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

Women Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA), has tasked all stakeholders in Kaduna working to ensure reduction in cases of Gender Based Violence to work harder until the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law is fully being implemented in the State.

Mohammed Maifada, a Senior Program Officer of the organization who gave the charge in Kaduna, during a “Public campaign for the prevention and accountability for Violence Against Women and Girls and the effective implementation of the Kaduna State”, also urged them not to relent in making sure that the Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEO) Bill, is equally passed to law.

According to him, despite efforts by both donors and all stakeholders, much success has not been recorded in terms of the use of the VAPP Law in trying cases of GBV in the State.

He said the movement of GEO bill has been back and forth as the status of the bill is currently not known after stakeholders re-presented back to government.

Maifada, disclosed that though, WRAPA has been at the forefront of pushing advocacy for passage of the bill and full implementation of the VAPP Law, but the project under which that is being done is gradually winding down as such, there would be need for stakeholders to begin to think of a sustainability plan.

He noted that the meeting was an avenue to re-access the level of commitment by the various stakeholders; what they have done and sill doing and what structures are being put in place to sustain the campaign.

The Senior Programme Officer, however commended the stakeholders which comprises Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Lawyers, Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Traditional and Religious, Vigilante Groups, etc for their efforts urging them to build on the successes so far recorded.

WRAPA is supported by the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) to implement a two-year project titled “Legal and Social Empowerment Program on Women’s Rights in Kaduna and Plateau States”. The project seeks to achieve the effective implementation of the Model Laws, which seeks to eliminate gender-based violence against women and girls and promote equal opportunities for beneficiaries of the project intervention, (women and girls).

On her part, the State project Officer, Barrister Bukola Ajao, explained that a lot of progress has been made by stakeholders in the state in terms of sensitization and awareness creation, as many people have now become aware of the existence of the VAPP Law in the State.

She said victims of GBV are now gradually coming out to seek for help because of the information being shared everywhere.

Ajao, added that the establishment of an SGBV Coalition in the State is one of the stakeholders sustainability plan to ensure the model laws are fully functional in the State.