The Nasarawa State House of Assembly says it will not tolerate violence and other forms of abuses against women and girls in the state.
Its Speaker, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe-Abdullahi, while hosting officials of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Tuesday in Lafia, said that the legislators would continue to protect the rights of women in the state.
The visit was part of NHRC’s activities to commemorate this year’s 16 days activism under the theme: “Arange the world”.
The Speaker, who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mr Nehemiah Tsentse- Dandaura, said that the assembly was concerned about the increasing cases of violence against women which had necessitated the sponsoring of a bill to tackle the menace.
“A bill that will prohibit violence against women has already scaled second reading at the floor of the House and a public hearing was conducted.
” By God’s grace, the bill will be passed and there will be severe penalty against gender-based violence,” he said.
Balarabe-Abdullahi said that the House had always frowned at the perpetrators of the ugly act and would do everything humanly possible to discourage it in the state.
The Speaker expressed the lawmakers’ readiness to collaborate with all relevant agencies and Non Governmental Oganisation to fight violence against women.
Earlier, Mr Chia Shaku, the Nasarawa State Coordinator of the NHRC, who led the delegation, had said that the team was in the assembly as part of programmes lined up for the commemoration of the 16 days activism on the elimination of violence against women.
He said that the period was being used to raise awareness on violence against women and girls, promote human rights and advocate action towards ending violence against women and girls.
He regretted that in spite of the declaration by United Nations General Assembly on the elimination of violence against women, NHRC, between March and June, received and treated various forms of violence against women and girls which included rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. (NAN)
