Nigerian Women Are Troubled in all parts of Country: We are demanding justice for too many of our unanswered cases. Dame Tallen
Maryam Aminu
“I am deeply concerned, families are crying and loosing loved ones to one form of brutality or another, the Media headlines are heart-breaking, society is devastated. Oh God heal our land, help our children to appreciate humanity and make the society whole again.”
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline K. Tallen, OFR, KSG made the above statement at the media briefing on Increased Gender-Based Violence on Friday, 22 April 2022, held at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs.
She added that the alarming increase in Gender-Based Violence as witnessed in the last few weeks truly calls for concern and urgent action.
“As we are dealing with the case of Osinachi Nwachukwu as one-more-case- too-many of GBV, we were again greeted this time with so many others, she added.
“In Jos, Plateau State, is the case of a Husband, Samuel Mathew who murdered his 23 year old wife, Mercy Samuel.
The case of a young girl from Chrisland school who was raped, so many gaps and questions
One too many”, she disclosed.
Tallen noted that the North and South, East and West several cases are reported daily and there is the need for us to remind the masses that due process is in place to address each and every one of these cases. We can no longer be silent and watch our society degenerate to a level where GBV is practiced with impunity.
Tallen urged women to speak out and break the culture of silence so that perpetrators can be named and shamed.
” We need police and justice system to act fast as justice delayed is justice denied ”
“Perpetrators need to be told that Nigeria is a society with Zero Tolerance against GBV. President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, is committed to seeing an end to GBV, the 36 State Governors are with us on this. The 9th National Assembly is equally committed to this cause.
As a first step to ensuring that we bring an end to this issue, the Ministry in partnership with the Ministry of Interior will initiate psychiatric test as part of marriage requirements to ascertain level of sanity and mental stability of would be couples.
The Minister advised that one should not force themselves to live in abusive marriages especially when there is no longer love and regard.
” An abusive man is hard to change, so do not force yourself hoping he will change, please quite if your marriage is not working”
She urged Governors and Commissioners of Women Affairs of all the affected States to give the much-needed attention to these cases.
“Our Traditional and Religious Institutions must help us in this mission. The women groups in the society have a big role to play in all of this. We must remain focused and resolute to ensure that perpetrators will face the full weight of the laws that govern our dear country.”
