By Uchenna Ugwu

The Ebonyi Gender-based Violence (GBV) Taskforce has decried the  non-availability of a special court for GBV cases saying it poses challenges to efforts in giving quick justice to victims.

Mrs Faithvin Nwanchor, Ebonyi Coordinator, GBV Task force, made this known on Sunday during a quarterly GBV stakeholders coordinators meeting in Abakaliki.

The meeting was organised and funded by the USAID-Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP), in collaboration with the state’s GBV Taskforce.

Nwanchor, also a Focal Person on Gender in the Ministry of Justice, Ebonyi, stated that there is a need to install the court as provided in the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) law .

According to her, since inception, effective awareness on the dangers of GBV as well as the encouragement for survivors to speak out, had improved.

She also identified the lack of mobility as challenges limiting prompt responses to the matters.

“Our greatest challenge is lack of speedy dispensation of justice. We hope that the GBV court, when set up, will deal with gender-based issues,” Nwanchor said.

Mr Augustine Onwe, the Gender Social Inclusion and Community Engagement Advisor IHP-USAID, said that the programme provides technical supports aimed at addressing all issues of GBV in the state.

Onwe added that the IHP programme is also geared towards eliminating maternal new born, child mortality and mobility in the state.

“We have been providing technical support to the ministry of health in the state and intervening in different areas such as maternal health, nutrition, immunisation and implementation of gender social inclusion.

“The idea of the meeting with the critical stakeholders was to find an avenue to continue to make our work better for the society” Onwe said.

Mrs Florence Egwu, Focal Personal at One-stop Centre, National Obstetrics Fistula Centre, said physical, economic, emotional and sexual violence were major challenges facing the people.

She urged the stakeholders to always enlighten people on the danger and consequences associated with the trend.

She encouraged the stakeholders to show more commitment in reducing GBV to the barest minimum in the state.

Mrs Bertha Offor, the Head, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) in Ebonyi, recommended empowerment and building skills of survivors to improve their livelihoods. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Vincent Obi