Wife of Ekiti State governor, Mrs Bisi Fayemi has called on stakeholders to rise and save the country from the menace of sexual and gender-based violence against women and minors.
Mrs Fayemi revealed that she suffered sexual harassment twice when she was in the university and the period she wanted to learn how to swim.
The governor’s wife stated this while speaking at the state House of Assembly complex in Ado-Ekiti during the public hearing on a bill for a law to repeal the Ekiti state gender-based violence (Prohibition) law,2011 and enact the state prohibition, 2019.
Mrs Fayemi said her office had been overwhelmed with complaints bordering on all forms of violence, particularly against women since 2018, saying amendment of the bill becomes imperative to give the victims voices and for offenders to be held accountable.
She said, ” I must tell our people here today that I was a victim of sexual harassment twice when I was young.
” First was when I told my parents that I will love to swim and I was asked to meet the man helping us with home shores to teach me how to swim. It was at Eko hotel and when we were inside the swimming pool, this man started touching me but I shouted at him and he said can’t I play with you? That was the first and the last time I will ever think of swimming.
” I also faced sexual harassment when I was in university and I thank God, I survived on both occasions.”
According to her, the data released by the United Nations showed that one in every three women faced one form of violence, adding that the Bill when passed into law, would serve as a voice for victims to speak out for necessary justice to be meted out.
While advising members of the Assembly to consider giving the Bill a speeding passage, the first lady urged people of the state to take ownership of the Bill in a bid to rid Ekiti of all forms of gender-based violence.
” It is a law for men and women in Ekiti, it is not for me nor Dr Fayemi. It is to protect us and give us more dignity, so our people must take ownership,” she said.
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The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapohunda, said the amendment into the bill may include medical Castration, compulsory psychiatric test and disqualification of offenders from benefiting from any government social investment programmes.
“We plead with the assembly to have expeditious and holistic consideration of the amendment into this bill because it is to provide a legal framework for Governor Kayode Fayemi’s zero tolerance for all forms of gender violence.
“The increasing cases of rape and defiling of little children in Ekiti requires urgent attention. The amendment being sought may include imprisonment and medical Castration of offenders among others not stipulated in the existing law, ” he said.
Earlier, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Funminiyi Afuye expressed displeasure over cases of gender-based violence across the country, saying, ” it has become an epidemic.”
He revealed that contributions from the stakeholders would be included in the law which he assured would be passed in record time.
Afuye further disclosed that” we are sending a strong signal to the rest of the world that Ekiti will not allow gender-based violence.”
