Kaduna State Commissioner for Ministry Human Services and Social Development, Hafsat Baba, has disclosed that the state recorded over 300 cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) since inception of Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s administration.

The commissioner stated this, yesterday, at the launch of Kaduna State Civil Society Coalition Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), in Kaduna, in commemoration of 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls.

Baba, who was represented by Maryam Mu’azu, said: “Over 300 cases of GBV have being reported. We used to have underreported cases, but now there is increase in reporting rate.”

While disclosing that the new mechanisms put in place by the El-Rufai government led to surge in the report of GBV, she said: “We are breaking the culture of silence because, most times, the cases happened between family members. But we have broken that and people are more aware now. People are aware because of the work we are doing at the Sexual Assault Referral Centres, where medical, legal, psycho-social and other services are offered for the survival of GBV victims.

“We have strengthened the referral part of the reporting system. We have just established perpetrators/offenders register, so that offenders will be published for people to know them.”

The Director, Centre for Gender Studies, Kaduna State University (KASU), Prof. Hauwa’u Yusuf, said: “KASU does not harbour anybody who engages in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). We fight against rape, homosexuality and every form of discrimination.”

Earlier, the Interim Chairperson, Kaduna State Civil Society Coalition Against SGBV, Rebecca John, had said: “We want people to know that we have civil society actors, who are providing services against GBV.”

She, therefore, appealed to the Kaduna government to collaborate with civil society groups in fighting violence against women, adding that the state needed to carry them along.