15th November, 2015
Eromosele Ebhomele
Speaker Mudashiru Obasa of the Lagos State House of Assembly has warned women on the dangers they face wearing indecent clothes in the society.
He pleaded with ladies to save themselves unnecessary violence that can be derived from indulgence in what he considers immoral dressing.
Obasa, who spoke while declaring open the Fifth International Conference on Women and Children at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, Victoria Island, Lagos also said that the society should be beyond reproach in their campaign against women molestation, adding that, some reported cases of violence against women have turned out to be untrue.
“We should guard against false propaganda as some reported cases of violence against girls and women have proved non-existent.
“Our ladies should desist from everything that can expose them to unnecessary violence. They should be mindful of friends they keep, gatherings they find themselves and the kinds of dresses they put on.
“Some of these variables are inherent triggers of violence against them in most cases. So, morality should be their watchword in every occasion,” the Speaker advised.
He declared that the House of Assembly passed two laws some years back against child abuse and domestic violence against women.
These laws, he claimed, became necessary because the state government and the society can no longer accept the adornment of domestic violence in the garb of family affair.
According to him, the laws are also established to, “provide information about support services and encourage citizens to break the culture of silence by reporting cases of violations and pursuing criminal litigation to punish offenders.”
In her opening remark, the wife of the governor of Lagos state, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, challenged the international community to be more pragmatic in its pursuit of children and female protection.
The governor’s wife, who was represented by Mrs Rhoda Ayinde, queried the potency of the extant conventions, major international treaties, national policies and legislations that seek to protect the rights of women and children.
“It is only when the international community and government across the globe wake up from their deep slumber and deploy commensurate political will to this ill-will that the feminine gender will begin to heave a sigh of relief,” she stated.