By Emmanuel Antswen
The National Working Group on the implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law across the states in Nigeria has called for increased budget to end violence against women and girls in Benue.
The group made the call in a statement signed by Mrs Elizabeth Jeiyol, Executive Director, Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI), and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Makurdi.
Jeiyol stated that delegates from member groups coordinated by the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) and the African Woman’s Development Fund (AWDF) took the position when they visited the clerk of the Benue State House of Assembly.
The executive director appealed to the government and relevant stakeholders to increase the budget to protect the vulnerable groups.
She said the increased budget would guarantee social stability and cohesion, adding that violence against women undermined social stability.
Jeiyol added that by adopting a gender-responsive budgeting framework, the state would be promoting safer communities, reducing crime rates, and fostering a culture of respect and equality.
According to her, the approach would facilitate a society that valued and protected its women and girls and consequently lay the foundation for peace and progress.
“It is our sincere hope, therefore, to see an engagement and participation of our honourable members as our strategic partners in adopting a gender-responsive budgeting framework.
“It is for appropriate allocation of resources for effective implementation of different activities in ending SGBV cases as envisaged in the VAPP law.
“Gender-responsive budgeting is a process that entails incorporating a gender perspective at various stages—planning, policy, programme formulation, assessment of needs of target groups, allocation of resources, implementation, impact assessment, and prioritisation of resources.
“A gender-responsive budgeting framework determines the human, financial, material, and technical resources needed for policy implementation.
“It is designed to justify resource mobilisation and to leverage financial and technical resources from multiple stakeholders,” she said.
According to Jeiyol, Mr Harlem Ikyo, Deputy Clerk, Benue State House of Assembly, assured the group that their message would be communicated to the appropriate authorities.
Ikyo commended the delegates for their good works in respect to their persistent and unwavering support for the vulnerable people and gave his assurance for a swift response. NAN
