GSI-TSJ.NG SUPPORTS EVAMP'S CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN

 GSI-TSJ.NG SUPPORTS EVAMP'S CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN

The Global Support Initiative For Transparency and Social Justice(Gsi-Tsj NG), has thrown its weight behind the call by the END VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN PROJECT (EVAMP), for the declaration of an International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Men.

This was contained in a Press Release jointly signed by the Convener of Gsi-is.NG, Hon. Ejiogu Charles, TPM, and the Secretary, Chief Vincent Ossai, respectively on 26th November 2022. The full text of the Press Release goes thus:

Press Release. 

Re: Hon. Abdulhameed Alli's Clarion Call For The Establishment Of International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Men.

Sequel to our Press Release  of 25th November 2022 captioned " Notching Up The Crusade Against Gender-Based Violence: Commending Barr. Mrs. Chioma Uzodinma Wife Of Governor, Imo State For The Establishment Of Deborah House Owerri "  a sexual abuse referral center in Owerri Imo State, our attention was drawn to an ongoing advocacy movement for the global community, under the auspices of the United Nations to consider and institute/ adopt  "  Day Of Global Awareness Towards  Elimination Of Violence Against Men ( EVAM ) "

We have it on solid authority that the Publisher of Kwara Peoples Magazine and former Transition Chairman of Ilorin West Local Government Area Council Kwara State, Hon. Abdulhameed Alli ( Aka Mr. Nigeria ) has established/ mounted an awareness campaign effort captioned " End Violence Against Men Project ( EVAMP) "

Furthermore, it is on record that the " End Violence Against Men Project ( EVAMP) " campaign was formally launched in Ilorin Kwara State on 11th November 2022 during the 1st edition of Emir of Ilorin instituted event to commemorate " Violence  Against Persons Prohibition ( VAPP) Law of Nigeria (as domesticated in Kwara State) Awareness Campaign, which also formed part of the social activities marking the 27th Turbaning anniversary of the sitting Emir of Ilorin Alhaji (Dr) Sulu Gambari.

What should be of great significance to our followers worldwide is that as an advocacy movement crusading for Transparency and social justice, we are honour and duty bound to collaborate with other organizations within and outside Nigeria that stand for the ideals and ideas Gsi-is.NG believes in and cherishes so dearly. 

In light of the above, we want to categorically affirm that there exist pockets of orchestrated domestic violence against the male gender. While violence against the female gender is reported widely on account of the acclaimed weaker sex status of the female gender,  little or nothing is said about domestic violence visited on some men by their wives. These daily violent occurrences come in different ways such as; husband battering by physically stronger wives, brutal attacks with kitchen knives and restlessness, pouring of hot water, and pouring of acid / other harmful chemical substances on male victims.

Other notable forms of abuses against the male gender often perpetrated by women are --  prevention of access to children in cases of divorce and/ or separation, arbitrary changing of surnames of children without the consent of their living biological fathers, violent denial of conjugal rights leading to emotional trauma and mental instaility, etc.

In the course of our investigations, we have established that some of these abuses fall within the realm of emotional/mental torture that has led to the sudden and untimely death of some of the male gender victims by way of suicides.

One common similarity shared by victims of both male and female gender abuses is the under-reporting of incidents. Males who are physically assaulted by their spouses are shy of drawing the attention of members of the public to their domestic plights on account of extended family and neighborhood shame, ridicule, and stigmatization.

Similarly, most female gender victims of sexual harassment, abuse/ rape seldom report mounting cases of abuse visited on them as a result of unfavorable public opinion and its associated stigmatization.

Interestingly enough, there exist uncountable incidents of sexual abuse against the male child, copiously perpetuated by some (adult) females, even as the habitual perpetrators continue to have their ways unnoticed on account of promises/ delivery of gifts and intimidatory antics. 

Flowing from the foregoing, we at Gsi-is NG, under our interventionist mandate, do hereby,  make this solemn declaration as follows ;

1) That the Federal Government should through the Ministry of Information & Culture, Departments and Agencies under its sphere of influence embark on a sustained public enlightenment effort primed at sensitization of the citizenry as to the existence and danger of " Violence Against Persons Prohibition ( VAPP) Law, as it concerns domestic violence against the male gender.

2) Government at the sub-national levels ( States & Local Government) should without further delay embark on public awareness activities and, domesticate the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law in their respective jurisdiction.

3) That the Nigerian media platforms cutting across the electronic and print genre, should rise up to the occasion by using their influence on matters of urgent public importance to provoke/set the agenda for a holistic interrogation of violence against the male gender.

4) That  Religious/Faith Based Organisations ( Churches & Mosques in particular) across the national spectrum, should deploy their respective jurisdictions/platforms to partner government in this fight to eliminate domestic violence against the male gender, 

5) That Civil Society advocacy groups must not shy away from establishing their salutary imprimatur on this vexatious subject of violence against the male gender.

6) That victims of violence against the male gender for goodness sake , should cry out loud enough, if this anti-social conduct is to be eradicated within the shortest possible time.

7) The government should consider setting up " Trauma Referral Centres " in each of the 36 States where victims of violence against the male gender can receive counseling services, to prevent some of them from committing suicide which is now on the increase. It has become clearer that some of them can not stand the psychological effects of being addressed as victims of male gender violence and,

8) We unequivocally lend our full support to the clarion call on the United Nations and its relevant agencies to set aside a special day for sensitization and mobilization of the global community towards the " End Violence Against Men Project ( EVAMP) " awareness campaign.

We do declare.