Ondo State Government says a robust policy framework has been put in place to address cases of sexual abuse and gender-based violence, as well as exploitation experienced by men and women in the society.
Wife of the State Governor, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu made this known in her keynote address at a capacity building workshop organised by the Ondo State Agency Against Gender-Based Violence in Akure.
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Ondo State Governor signed the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill into law on July 14, 2021.
The signing made Ondo one of the states in the country, where the law became operational.
After more than a year, stakeholders gathered in Akure, the state capital, to assess the effectiveness of the VAPP Act in the state.
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, Wife of the State Governor, believes that critical stakeholders have pivotal roles to play in strengthening implementation of this law in order to halt the ugly spate of domestic violence in her keynote address.
She said it is not enough to have the VAPP Act signed into law, it must be effectively implemented.
According to her, increased awareness is needed to deter people from engaging in violence, and offenders should be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the act.
In her speech, an Assistant Director with the Department of Public Prosecution in the State Ministry of Justice, said publication of offenders’ names and pictures in national dailies and on social media, will go a long way in checking the trend.