The Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), a non-governmental organisation, has called for an end to Violence against Women and Girls (VWGs) in Nigeria to boost their participation in electoral processes.
Ms Faith Nwadishi, Executive Director of the group, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja to commemorate the World Human Rights Day.
Nwadishi said that it was paramount for Nigeria to have a deep reflection and mitigation on the “ruinous consequences” of violence against women and girls, especially on election day.
She said that the reflection on the disastrous consequences of VWGs in Nigeria could not be over emphasised.
“As a people, we must reflect and rise up to the ills of gender-based violence. It is not an issue for women alone; men too can bring about change by standing with their mothers, sisters, wives, and daughters.
“We must all reinforce gender equality and participation, especially in governance by degrading violence of any kind targeted at women and girls before, during and after elections.
“We must start by promoting and supporting organisations that support the interest of women devoid of abuses and discrimination’’, she said.
Nwadishi noted that violence against women was used as a targeted and destructive tool in various ways throughout the electoral cycle to dissuade women from participating as election administrators, voters, and candidates.
She said that tackling the issues of violence against woman and girls was one of the numerous ways of reducing the barriers affecting and hampering sustenance of democracy in the country.
According to her, violence against women not only denies women and girls of their fundamental human rights but it undermines all development efforts in the country.
She expressed concern on the continued structural, physical, cultural, and sexual violence suffered by woman and the adverse effect it could have on their level of participation in governance.
“During the recent governorship election in Kogi , women were physically shoved and traumatically hurt by a system that ordinarily should not only protect them but encourage them.
“All these and many more are factors that affect the validity of the democratic process in the country’’, she said.
Nwadishi urged political parties to begin to take women inclusion more seriously by making more robust, well articulated provisions and gender strategies rather than the dormant roles of women leader and welfare organisers.
She called for the reforms of the Electoral Act to create provisions that would protect women’s participation in the electoral value chain.(NAN)
