Kaduna State Government has reiterated its readiness to conduct surgical castration for male rapists and bilateral salpingectomy for their female counterparts.
While surgical castration usually involves removal of the testes, bilateral salpingectomy is the removal of a woman’s fallopian tubes. Both processes render them sterile.
The Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Mrs Rabi Salisu, disclosed this at a Gender-Based Stakeholders Meeting in Kaduna.
The summit was organised by her ministry, in collaboration with Centre for Integrated and Health Programmes (CIHP).
Salisu said the punitive measures were contained in the Kaduna State Government Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPPL), 2018.
She said: “The law followed a lengthy process of advocacy, lobbying and awareness raising by civil society organisations in the state, in collaboration with relevant government agencies.
“Reported cases of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) have been notably on the increase in Kaduna since the passage of the VAPPL in December 2018.This could be attributed to increased awareness about VAWG and also the availability of the law.”
According to the commissioner, the state has witnessed a rise in cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Salisu said, ”According to the National GBV Data Situation Room and dashboard for prevention and response to GBV in Nigeria, 832 cases have been reported in 2023 so far.”
She said the 16 days between November 25 (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) and December 10 were known as the ‘Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign’.
“This period provides a time to stir up action to end violence against women and girls around the world. November 25 is designated as Orange Day by the UNiTE to End Violence against Women Campaign. The colour orange symbolises a brighter future, free of violence.
“It also serves as a means of demonstrating solidarity in eliminating all forms of violence. It is, therefore, used as the colour of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women,” she added.
