During a press conference in Abuja on Monday, Women’s Affairs Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye announced that her ministry has finalized plans to establish a mobile court to try cases related to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The minister’s goal is to increase awareness of the ministry’s efforts to address issues of sexual and gender-based violence. Ms. Kennedy-Ohaneye also stated that the court would prosecute individuals who continue to engage in the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in order to eradicate the practice throughout the country.
The minister announced that the ministry’s board of directors has silently supported its determination to empower women in society. This aligns with the President’s new agenda of hope, which promises to uplift the poor and prevent their suffering.
Mrs. Kennedy-Ohaneye stated that the mobile court’s case management will be a joint effort between the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, civil society organizations (OSC), and security agencies.
The goal of partnering with these organizations is to find innovative ways to enforce the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015 and other laws that prohibit sexual and gender-based violence, gender-based violence, and female genital mutilation.
According to the Minister, the program of distributing sanitary napkins to students will be transformed into the creation of a “Sanitary Napkin Production Centre”, as the old method can no longer be sustainable.”
Ms Kennedy-Ohaneye also said the ministry has ended the long-standing practice of distributing gas cylinders to rural women.
“It is no longer sustainable as the ministry is now worried about who refills the gas cylinder for these women when it runs out,” she said.
He revealed that the ministry would change the old method of supporting coal burners and biogas stoves due to their cost-effectiveness.
Ms Kennedy-Ohaneye added that the ministry had concluded plans to create cooperative societies to empower women.
The plan, he said, will be implemented in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, traders associations and other international organizations.
The minister assured Nigerians that her daycare and other assets, currently underutilized, would be revived and begin functioning optimally within her first 100 days in office.
“The ministry has chosen to encourage all women’s groups to form cooperatives and register with the ministry.
“The objective is to allow the ministry to equip them with different production machines to boost the country’s economy, women’s livelihood and national development,” he said.