…..as Fame foundation rallies Abuja school boys against menace

The France Ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, has called for concerted efforts aimed at tackling the menace of gender-based violence in the country.

Speaking during the sensitization titled: “uniting boys to Invest against GBV” outreach held at the Jabi Kpadna, primary school Abuja, she contended that the menace remains a human rights violation.

Represented by Regis Ketty, Cooperation Attache, French Embassy, she expressed concern over the increase of the menace across the world.

She said it calls for concern that in Nigeria, 44 percent of girls have experienced one or more forms of physical and sexual violence perpetrated by either teachers or their classmates.

She noted: “School-based gender-based violence (SRGBV) refers to any act or threat of sexual, physical or psychological violence occurring in and around schools. This violence affects girls and boys.

“We must leave no one behind and everyone has a role to play in this work of eradicating GBV. It affects millions of children, families and communities in every country and transcends cultural, geographic and economic differences in societies.

“This violence has considerable consequences on the physical, mental, sexual and emotional well-being of the child. Sexual harassment in schools can harm students educational opportunities.”

She reiterated the French Embassy’s resolve towards supporting Fame Foundation and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across the country, particularly in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and North East States (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa) to tackle the menace.

The envoy thereby called on the 36 states of the federation to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and to ratify the Convention on Istanbul of the Council of Europe on preventing and combating violence against women.

Fame Foundation Executive foundation, Aderonke Ogunleye-Bello who reiterated the call on the 36 states of the Federation to implement the violence against persons prohibition (VAPP) Act explained that the idea behind taking the campaign to school boys in the federal capital territory (FCT) was aimed at nipping the menace in the bud.