Minister and Student Union Bodies To Mitigate The Ugly Trend of Sexual Harassment….. Calls for women groups to form cooperatives

Maryam Aminu

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy, has received student union bodies Nigeria on Monday 25th September, 2023 in Abuja to discuss ways to mitigate the menace of sexual harassment in Nigerian schools

The essence of the meeting was to find lasting solutions to ending issues of sexual violence in Nigerian institutions

Kennedy reiterated her commitment to utilise all available means to tackle the continuous problem of sexual harassment within higher education institutions across the country.

Referencing the recent UNICAL Scandal, Kennedy underscored the importance of conducting a thorough investigation to ensure justice was served and offenders rightly punish to serve as an example for potential offenders.

The Minister disclosed that she had experienced sexual harassment duri can you bring football look your neck neck break upng her university days.
“So all I asked for was thorough investigation and justice am not siding anyone”

We are starting with the Calabar case because that’s trending case, we are going to write as we have agreed, to the DSS to wage into this investigation, so that the Prof will not go free, not just that he has been sacked, it’s not enough punishment, so let them go in and gather issues that will bring an end to this and the right judicial action be taken. Remember they said the Prof has been there before, he was sacked before, he came back, now he has gone to court let us not give room for same thing to keep repeating itself, that’s why we want a better investigation to have an advantage over him in court.”

Responding, leaders of the student union bodies expressed their gratitude to the Minister for her willingness to collaborate with them on this critical issue.

They pledged their full support, committing to work with her in eradicating the ugly trend of sexual harassment in various Nigeria institutions.

In a briefing with cluster of journalists also, the Minister stated items and aids distributed to rural women are not sustainable as such the ministry has come up with a sustainable way of assisting the rural women.

The Director press and public relations, Olujimi Oyetomi said the ministry has come up with the following as the changes they want to introduce to achieve sustainability
Firstly the gas cylinder that is being distributed to rural women is no longer sustainable by the ministry, as the ministry is now concerned about who refills the gas cylinder for these women when it is finished?
Saying the ministry will now change the method of such support to charcoal burners and bio-gas stoves, adding that this particular one will be cost-effective for the ministry and also affordable for the rural women

Secondly that the sanitary towels the ministry usually gives to students will now be transformed into a setting up “Sanitary Pad Production Centre” as the old method can no longer be sustainable.

Thirdly that the ministry has also resolved to help and encourage all women groups to form cooperatives and register with the ministry so that the ministry can empower them with different production machines to boost Nigeria’s economy, livelihood of women and for nation development.”

In collaboration with the Federal Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation, our current Minister of Justice the governor’s forum, the Chief Justice of the Federation, and civil society organisations, the Ministry has decided on an innovative way to enforce the violence against persons Prohibition Act gender-based violence, sexual and gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, violence against children.

For the above,we will set up a mobile court to ensure quick dispensation of justice for the survival of the violence in line with Mr President’s renewed hope agenda, saying that they will work to allow the poor to breathe and not suffocate them

We strive to ensure that reporting mechanisms are known, accessible and trusted and that victims who report sexual misconduct feel safe and protected. We have reinforced mechanisms to ensure that cases of sexual exploitation and abuse are reported, using a range of complaints mechanisms, including face to face engagement, mobile phone technology and call centres”