The Office of Public Defenders (OPD), has begun the campaign against inhuman treatment, and raised awareness about ending violence against women and children.
The campaign was part of the 16 days of activism declared by the United Nations to sensitise the Lagos residents about ending violence against women and children as well as celebrating Human Rights Day.
Director of OPD, Mrs Olubunmi Adesomoju, reiterated her commitment to continuing to protect the rights and raise awareness against inhuman treatment and violence against women, children, and other indigent members of society.
The walk commenced from the Surulere office of the OPD and took through Costain, Apapa Road, Oyingbo, Ebute Metta, Adekunle, Makoko, Onike, Yaba, and Ojuelegba Road back to their office.
Adesomoju said it is part of their duties to ensure that they provide free legal representation for those who are indigents and vulnerable, especially women and children and those who are living with any form of disability.
According to her, Lagos State is flying the banner high to ensure that they protect the rights of women and children. Adesomoju said the campaign is part of activities commemorating ‘Orange The World’ as part of the 16 days of activism declared by the United Nations to raise awareness about ending violence against women and children as well as celebrating Human Rights Day.
The 16 days of activism, which started all over the world on November 25, will end on December 10, human rights day. She said: “Orange the world is used to express a beautiful and upright world. So it is where everyone, all institutions of government, both local and international, joined the world to celebrate this Orange the World programme.
“So that is why we, the OPD, are celebrating, commemorating, and joining the world to ensure that we raise advocacy against violence against women and children, as well as against all the people who have been underprivileged in society, the vulnerable and the indigents.
“We have to do advocacy on ending violence because our women and children are very precious to us as a nation.” The OPD Director explained that all institutions of government were engaged in marking the day.
“It is 16 days of activism, and every one of them picks a day within those days to mark the day. ”
“So, Nigeria is on top of it, celebrating it with the rest of the world and ensuring that the rights of everyone within our society are protected,” she said. Adesomoju further explained that her department has been able to stand up for and protect the rights of women successfully within society.
“The United Nations has several days where they ensure that the rights of women are protected. So, we as OPD, we ensure that we protect the rights of our women, including all their social-economic rights, we ensure that we protect it,” she said.
Speaking on their activities in OPD, Mrs Adesomoju said: “What we do is to ensure that we bring advocacy, information to the people, and ensure that the public is sensitised about their lives.
“We fight for families and the society. The family front is protected within the society. So our doors are open to any kind of incident that happens within our society to ensure that we protect the rights of those who are affected by it.
“We expect people to know more about OPD and what to do; we protect the socio-economic rights of all the citizens, especially the vulnerable and indigent.
“Then we want people to know that we also protect labour rights of people and families that have issues that have to do with maintenance, custody, and access to their children. We also protect pension rights and insurance claims.
“We do rescue missions where there are abused women and children within our society.
“So we want people to know what we do as an agency. We want them to know that the government has set up this place, so that people can walk in and get free service. Our services are free, and they’re quality.”
