By: Valentine Adese (JP) and Paul Naomi,
Women’s Rights Advancement And Protection Alternative (WRAPA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has in Plateau State and Nigeria at large, continued to promote Legal and Social empowerment programmies on Women’s Rights.
It is of note that, in Nigeria, WRAPA implemented the Haki Mkonomi Project in 2015, which immensely contributed to the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, which was signed into Law by President Goodluck Jonathan on the 25th of May, 2015.
The efforts of WRAPA, its Coordinators and Facilitators in Plateau State, also contributed to the passage of VAPP and the Gender and Equal Opportunity (GEO) Bills into Law in Plateau State.
The NGO, having achieved this feat was of the strong view that, the GEO Bill and the VAPP Act 2015 are critical to addressing issues of gender-based violence in Plateau State and Nigeria at large hence it has embarked on the recent exercise of engagement meeting with State Governor, Key State Actors, Representatives of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the State Ministry of Justice, Legislators and the Plateau State Ministries of Women Affairs and the Media.
Its recent training in Plateau State, which had a huge attendance, according to Mrs. Jummai Madaki, was to enable the environment that would gain approval and adoption of the GEO Law and VAPP Act.
Mrs. Jummai explained that, “The purpose of the Activity and Engagements in the State, is to gain the approval and adoption of the VAPP Act and the Gender and Equal Opportunity Law in Plateau State, which seeks to eliminate Gender-based Violence in Women and Girls (VAWG) and promote equal opportunities for beneficiaries of the project intervention (Women and Girls).
The main objective of WRAPA’s recent training in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, which is aimed at sustaining and advancing high level engagements for the effective implementation of the GEO and the VAPP Act, has been commended by leading CSOs, and political pundits in Plateau state.
You would recall that, REALITY had reported that, The Plateau State Government may soon become the first to pass the Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, arising from the GEO Bill passed into Law recently.
The State Government through its Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental, and Non-Governmental Organizations, Hon Werr Irmiya, made this disclosure, at a One-Day workshop on ”Engagement Meetings with Key State Actors for the Effective Implementation of the GEO Law and the VAPP Act, under the project of Legal and Social empowerment Program on Women’s Rights in Kaduna and Plateau States.” organized by WRAPA and sponsored by African Women Development Fund (AWDF) , held on the 17th of December, 2021, at City Lodge Hotel, Jos, Plateau State.
In his remarks during the training, the Commissioner assured the Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) that, “the establishment of a Gender Commission, is in no distant time”.
”The Government of Plateau State is committed to establishing a Gender Commission in no distant time and will ensure that, 90% appointment of this Commission will be given to women because, women are the key for the survival of any nation”, The Commissioner stated.
He also added that, ”The Government will also ensure the participation of women not just in governance, but also in every strata of life.
Mrs. Oluwayemisi Nathaniel, the Senior Executive Officer, Program and Project of WRAPA in her presentation at the workshop, had then described the Plateau State Government, as a Government that is taking the bull by the horn when it comes to the issue(s) surrounding Gender Equality, by passing the GEO Bill into Law.
”We want to thank the Plateau State Government for being the first in taking the GEO Laws and ensuring that it does not remain stagnant”, She stated.
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