Kogi Guber: Attah Igala advises against violence on women

THE Attah Igala kand President Kogi state Council Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Michael Ame Oboni the second, has advised politicians to ensure safety of women in the state, during and after the coming November 16 gubernatorial election in Kogi.
The Royal Father made the admonition during an advocacy visit of Challenged Parenthood Initiative at his palace in Idah Local Government Area.
He said violence against women during election is capable of retarding the political development in the in the country and the state in particular.
According to the royal monarch, women have contributed immensely towards peace and development in the country, giving reference to the sacrifice of Princess Inikpi who gave her life to save the land from invasion.
He equally encouraged women to be more active in politic so they can have more voices in the nation’s policy making.
“Its a shame that with the large population of women, they are not adequately represented in governance. Politics did not belong to men alone it also involve women. Give women a chance as not only men has monopoly of ideas,” he added.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director Challenged Parenthood Initiative, Ms. Eunice Abimbola Agbogun, said Stop Violence Against Women in Politics (Stop-VAWIP), campaign is an initiative that seeks to establish the link between gender-based electoral violence and the low level of participation of women in politics.
She said the campaign over all goal is to mitigate violence against women during elections and encourage women to actively participate in politics.
According to her, women are subjected into various stage of intimidation, ranging from assault, sexual harassment, forcibly taken away their voter cards, beating, pushing, murder and mixing them with men in the queue.
She stressed that women are also face with threat to harm their family, coerced to vote a particular candidate and threat of divorce.
“Because we live in a male dominated society, women are generally undermined. Men behave violently towards women as voters, candidates/aspirants, security officers, electoral officers among others,” she added.
She however maintained that society at large also used traditional means to perpetrate VAWIP.