The Lagos State Coordinator, Child Protection Network, Mrs Aderonke Oyelakin, has called for stakeholders’ collaborative efforts to end Gender-Based Violence (GBV), particularly child sexual abuse, in Nigeria.
Oyelakin, a child rights advocate and counsellor, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.
She said governments, teachers, parents, families, communities, religious leaders and organisations, among others, should step up action on reports, sensitisation and advocacy about GBV.
According to her, many people are still not aware that there are laws and penalties for child sexual abuse in Nigeria, hence the need for more sensitisation.
Child sexual abuse attracts life imprisonment; there’s no negotiation,” she said.
She explained that addressing GBV required a holistic approach; a collective effort of everyone in society.
The child rights advocate said that as part of parenting responsibilities, parents needed to start educating their children and wards on sex and related issues from the age of 12 to 15.
She decried the situation whereby some parents in Nigeria saw sex education as an attempt to damage the child’s moral conscience.
According to her, pre-marital pregnancy in Nigeria is the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa due to the lack of early sex education by parents.
“It is important that parents teach the adolescent ones, particularly girls, about their sexual rights to prevent unwanted pregnancies, rape and other gender-based violence.
“Prevention is better than cure; when we teach the adolescent ones about pre-marital sex, we are trying to give them information about sexual and reproductive health issues so that they will not fall into the wrong hands,” she said.
She said that harmful cultural norms, gender stereotypes, poverty, and weak legal enforcement had continued to fuel the persistence of GBV.
According to her, social stigmatisation and fear of retaliation often prevent survivors from seeking help, leaving them isolated and vulnerable.
Therefore, she urged the stakeholders, including journalists, to amplify advocacy about GBV and to always stand as defenders of human dignity and respect.
She also urged teenagers to seek redress at the appropriate quarters if they are sexually harassed, saying the Child Protection Network is readily available to assist.
“Everyone has a role to play for the country to stop GBV.
“While the governments intensify efforts to strengthen and enforce policy frameworks, the traditional leaders should play a pivotal role in shaping the values, attitudes, and behaviour of their communities.
“This is important so that collectively, remarkable impacts will be recorded in the fight against GBV
