An Advocacy Group known as Stop Violence Against Women in Politics (STOP-VAWIP), on Monday condemned violent attacks against women in some polling units and wards during the Saturday’s governorship election in Edo.
Mrs May Ekido, the coordinator of STOP-VAWIP, told newsmen in Benin that the group received no fewer than 150 calls during and after the elections on various degree of attacks on women.
Ekido, who is also the Deputy coordinator of the Girls Power Initiative, expressed concerns on how women who constitute over 48 per cent of voters were intimidated and disenfranchised due to violence on them.
“Women were not allowed to participate fully due to hijacking and destruction of election materials in some polling units, sporadic shooting, assault by party activists on female voters, INEC officials, and observers.
“Others are high cases of coercion by party activists to vote for a particular candidate.
“We, therefore, condemn any act that hinders women’s political participation,” she said.
Ekido explained that an elderly woman was assaulted and injured while preventing party activists from carting away election materials from her Polling Unit at Tipper garage in Egor local government area.
“We have since reached out to her and provided counseling services from professionals working with Vivian Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
“A woman, the late Mrs Yado Odogbo, of Tolota village, was shot and killed in Polling Unit 6 in Ikoro Ward, in Ovia South-West.
“A female observer deployed by YIAGA Africa to Polling Unit 7, Ward 3 Ewatto, Esan South East, was attacked, given matchet cuts and almost killed,” she added.
She, however, called on the National Assembly to expedite action in the review of the Electoral Act and Constitution in order to reform Nigeria’s electoral process to be more inclusive, secure and transparent.
According to her, we are also calling on the Edo State House of Assembly to enact the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP), bill, to protect women and punish perpetrators of gender-based violence in the state.
Ekido further explained that the Stop-VAWIP campaign is an initiative that seeks to establish the link between gender-based electoral violence and the low level of participation of women in politics. (NAN)
