An NGO, Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre (GPSDC), says it recorded 52 cases of violence against women in politics before and during the Nov.6 governorship election in Anambra.
The group said on Saturday in Awka that the cases were recorded during the “Stop Violence against Women in Politics’’ (Stop-VAWIP) campaign in Anambra.
The Stop-VAWIP campaign was held in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Mrs Eucharia Anekwe, Executive Director, GPSDC said.
In her presentation at the launch of Anambra Women Agenda (AWA) on Saturday, she said the campaign was designed to mitigate the disturbing trend of violence against women.
“Women’s political participation in Anambra has retrogressed in the past eight years because of electoral violence such as threats; hate speech, assault and blackmail directed at them, hence the Stop-VAWIP campaign.
“During the campaign which started weeks to the governorship election, we recorded about 52 victims who narrated their experiences as aspirants, elected officials, election officials, voters and other electoral stakeholders.
“This is why we brought together a coalition of women organisations called ‘Nwanyibuife’, to raise awareness of violence against women in politics and election in the state.
“This coalition planned strategic advocacies and came up with AWA to address gender-based violence and drive the progress and development of women in the state,’’ Anekwe said.
In his remarks, Mr Glory Nwaka, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, GSPDC, said the agenda would improve women’s participation in leadership, governance and elective politics.
Mrs Roselynn Musa, Gender Advisor at NDI, described violence against women in politics as an intolerable violation of women’s rights which posed fundamental challenges to democratic values and electoral processes.
Musa said NDI supported programmes that strengthened electoral integrity and upheld values of equality and inclusivity that lay at the heart of democracy. (NAN)
