Fashola, Adefulire Decry Violence Against Women

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and his Deputy, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire have decried rising cases of violence against women in the country and call for collaborative effort to salvage the situation.

The duo spoke at this year’s International Women’s Day celebration held at the Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria last week. The event was attended by thousands of women with gorgeous attires.

Fashola decried violence against women, noting that in recognition of the role that women play in the society, they must in no way be limited by their special features.

According to him, government’s responsibility was to make those kinds of interventions that would ensure that women were not discriminated against, adding that no responsible man should feel intimidated or diminished by the success of any woman.

“In the way that women for generations have stood behind and beside their men and have led them to success after success and victory after victory, what is fair is fair, what is right is right, if women truly want to fly, we must release them to fly,” he said.

He added that those who hold public office understood the reason why they should not allow the rights of women to be infringed in any way and that the state was perhaps the first state to enact legislations that sought to protect not only girl children but also women.

Deputy Governor, Orelope-Adefulire, lamented that cases of gender-based violence had continued to be on the increase in spite of technological advancement, saying that cases of rape, child labour, sex slavery had been on the rise in recent times.

She noted that any society that accorded equality to women is bringing about progress for all and sundry as women were pivotal in the scheme of things.

She said it was not enough to agitate for gender equality, but that women should showcase their resourcefulness, passion, commitment and put in their best in whatever area destiny had placed them.

“We must continue to show good examples to our children and imbibe moral values and virtues for them to be reliable and responsible citizens. We must make conscious effort to protect them from dangers and ensure that all school age children are in school.

“We must take advantage of the free, qualitative and compulsory education policy in Lagos State for our collective good,’ she stated.

Wife of the Governor, Abimbola Fashola, said the empowerment of women had been proven to lead to economic and all round growth of nations, as shown by the fact that countries with gender equality are making better progress.

She added that in spite of the laudable efforts of many, the girl child had remained in a vulnerable state and that it had taken more effort to break in to the forefront of society, explaining that it was for the nation’s own good for the women to be educated and to have equal opportunities as men.

Fashola said the nation had reached a position where it should do away with instances where unpalatable and suggestive premises were brought to the fore as the reasons for the success of a woman who had risen to a certain height through her proficiency.