REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE
The Anambra State Government has reiterated its commitment to partnering with credible groups and stakeholders to eliminate Gender-Based Violence (GBV) across the state.
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinyere Onyekesi stated this , when she received members of the Anambra State Multi-Stakeholders Committee on Gender-Based Violence Prevention (MAP-GBV) in her office at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka.
Mrs. Onyekesi warned that GBV would not be tolerated in the state, stressing that offenders must desist or face the full wrath of the law, as the ministry remains resolute in tracking down perpetrators for prosecution.
The Commissioner assured the delegation of the ministry’s readiness to collaborate with any genuine group working towards ending GBV in Anambra State.
In his remarks, the Chairman of MAP-GBV Prevention and Traditional Ruler of Olumbanasa, Igwe Pius Omachaonu, briefed the Commissioner on the committee’s activities and disclosed that the committee’s major sponsor, ActionAid Nigeria, would be exiting the programme by the end of the year.
Igwe Omachaonu appealed to the ministry, as the host institution, to take full ownership of the initiative to ensure its sustainability.
He also highlighted upcoming sensitisation programmes and identified lack of office space as a major challenge affecting the committee’s coordination, seeking greater support from the ministry.
