Mr Joe Nkamuke, Deputy Director, Justice Development And Peace Centre (JDPC), has called on Nigerians not to maltreat anyone in their care especially housemaids and sales boys.
Nkamuke said on Saturday in Lagos that housemaids and sales boys should be treated with love to encourage them to develop their potential.
The deputy director spoke at the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Coker, Orile-Iganmu.
The celebration had the theme: “The Family and Gender Equality’’.
“I keep hearing violence against women, but I will say that we should eliminate violence against all persons.
“I am not interested in men who batter women; I am interested in families that violate the rights of their housemaids and sales boys.
“A man will keep a sales boy for eight years, and instead of settling the boy, he will brand the boy a thief.
“Your housemaid will wake up early, prepare your child for school, and instead of going to school, she will wash your clothes. That is a violation of the child’s right,” he said.
The deputy director urged families to desist from maltreating other people’s children irrespective of the statuses.
Dr Celine Njokuba, a psychologist who spoke on “Effective Education and Gender Tolerance in the Family’’, said that many parents had failed in communicating effectively with their children.
She urged parents to create time to communicate well with their children to properly mould them.
“If you do not communicate with them, you have raped them, not sexually but emotionally.
“Communication in most homes is dead; parents should communicate with their children verbally or non-verbally.
The UN set aside Nov. 25 yearly as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women for governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations to raise public awareness of violence against women.
It has been observed since 2000.
Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations. (NAN)
