Anthonia Duru
In curbing the reoccurring cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), a senior lecturer in the Department of Jurisprudence and International Laws, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Akoka, Dr. Asikia Karibi-Whyte, has advocated for social education.
She made this statement recently at one-day training for Women’s Rights Advocates on Generating Shadow Report which was supported by Joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and implemented by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC).
While describing social education as key in enforcing laws and policies on Sexual/ Gender Based Violence (SGBV) issues,
Karibi-Whyte who spoke on “X-Ray Women’s Human Rights, national laws and policies addressing SGBV” pointed out that for laws to be effective, there is need for social education.
Laws, according to her, is good but for it to be effective, people want to know why the law exists and what they stand to gain if they obey it.
Her words, “Take for instance, issues on Harmful traditional practices, don’t look down on people involved in this act but rather let’s focus on why we want it to be eradicated is because of its negative impact on victims.
“It is after people have been convinced socially that they will obey such laws. For laws to be effective there is need for social education” said Dr. Karibi-Whyte.
The training according to the Executive Director, WARDC, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, is to educate women rights advocates on relevant skills and support them to monitor and generate shadow report on the government’s execution of its obligations in relation to human rights monitoring and reporting mechanisms for Violence Against Women and Girls /Sexual Gender Base Violence/Harmful Practices and women’s and girls’ access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Right.
“Our goal is to have a movement of Women’s rights organizations that would monitor the governments discharge of its obligation push for reforms that would eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls so that we can have a society where women can live a life free from violence,” said Akiyode-Afolabi.
A Shadow Report is a formal review of that state report prepared by a coalition of civil society organisations for review by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee.
