The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 election, Peter Obi, on Saturday proferred solutions on how to end violence against women in Nigeria.
Obi, in series of tweets in his X handle to mark the Global International Day for the Elimination of
Violence Against Women, said that the surest way to eliminate violence against women is to grant them unhindered access to good education and good healthcare.
According to the LP flag-bearer: “As the global community .marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women today, I join my voice with other lovers of peace in our society, to speak out against all forms of gender-based violence, especially against women, in our nation.
He noted that while every form of violence against any Nigerian deserves to be condemned, “the gender-based violence against women must not be given a place among us.
“The National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reports that 1 in 3 Nigerian women have experienced physical violence by age 15 (NDHS 2013). According to a 2019 survey by the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, 30% of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, while a shocking 68% have encountered emotional, economic, or sexual abuse.”
Obi also noted the political influence of women in our polity saying: “Reports also show that women are critical players in our politics as they contribute significantly to the voting numbers but are often hampered by violence which can only be eliminated by playing by the rules of the law guiding the game.
“This ugly trend of violence must not be allowed to continue.Violence against women can be eliminated by empowering the Nigerian women to take their rightful place in society and contribute to our collective development as a nation. This, we can do by giving them access to education and healthcare, which are most critical to national development.
“To build the New Nigeria of our dreams, completely abhorrent of violence against women, we must understand that development is not gender-based, and we all, men and women, must unite, in love, to move our nation forward.”