As activities geared up
around the globe to commemorate the 2014 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women,
Tuesday,   the 25th day of November 2014, was quite remarkable here in the city of Port Harcourt. The Ministry of Women Affairs in Rivers State left no stone unturned to ensure that its advocacy and sensitization campaigns were taken to the grassroots.
This time, it rolled out its drum, not just to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of  Violence against Women, but to mark the start of the 16 days of activism that will lead up to Human Rights Day on December 10, 2014.
The ministry used the occasion to call to mind the need to stop all forms of violence against women, considered to be the most widespread human rights abuses in all countries of the world.
In a street march, the Rivers State Ministry of Women Affairs created awareness, on the kinds of violence women face in the society, pointing out the need to put an end to it.
Of course, the women ministry is not alone in this course. Organizations such as: Gender and Development Advocacy (GADA), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), National Stability and Rehabilitation Programme (NSRP), Civil Rights Societies, Civic Based Organisations, Security agencies, media and many other non-governmental organizations are in partnership with the ministry to make real its agenda which is ultimately geared towards ensuring that the society puts a stop to the mindsets and customs that encourage, ignore or tolerate the global disgrace of violence against women and girls.
With the theme of the 2014 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, as: “From Peace In The Home, To Peace In The World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls,” the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, in his message to commemorate the day stressed that everyone has a responsibility to prevent and end violence against women and girls, starting by challenging the culture of discrimination that allows it to thrive. While calling on the world to shatter negative gender stereotype and attitudes, introduce and implement laws to prevent and end discrimination and exploitation and stand up to abusive behavior where ever it is sighted.
Ban Ki-Moon had earlier described, “sexual and gender-based violence as the most extreme form of the global and systemic inequality experienced by women and girls, stating that it knows no geographic, socio-economic or cultural boundaries.
He reiterated that one in three women worldwide suffers physical or sexual violence at some point in life, from rape and domestic violence to harassment at work and bullying on the internet.
It will be recalled that by resolution 54/134 of December 17,1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated November 25, as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and invited governments, international organizations and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the problem on that day globally.
However, women activists have marked November 25 every year as a day against violence since 1981. This date came from the brutal assassination of 1960, of the three Mirabel Sisters, who were political activists in the Dominican Republic on orders of Dominican Ruler Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961).
Meanwhile, the commissioner for Women Affairs in Rivers State, Mrs Joeba West, has used the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women as the subsequent 16 days activism campaign to call on stakeholders in the state to join the campaign on zero tolerance on gender-based violence.
Mrs Joeba West, who made this call during the solidarity march organised by her ministry in partnership with Gender And  Development Advocacy (GADA), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) and other organizations to commemorate the event, said the global theme for this year which is: From Peace In The Home, To Peace In The World: Let’s Challenge Militarism And End Gender-based Violence Against Women and Girls,” highlights the effect of violence against women and girls in the society.
The commissioner, who described violence as an anti-social behavior, which violates the right of people to peaceful co-existence, said the campaign would focus on relevant action to be taken to end gender-based violence and militarism, to ensure that women and girls enjoy freedom from fear of intimidation, harassment and exploitation at all levels.
According to the honourable commissioner, the ministry in its commitment to advocate agasisnt proliferation of small arms in cases of intimate partners violence, violence perpetrated by state actors and sexual violence during and after conflict among others would feature in the 16 days activism. The establishment and launching of a counseling and referral centre for victims of Gender-based violence at the ministry of women Affairs, media discussions, jingles and step-down campaign at the different localities.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists in the state, Mrs Lilian Okonkwo, has called on all to ensure that girl-child education is encouraged to curb further exposure to sexual violence by virtue of their being used as hawking agents.
She called on relevant law enforcement agencies to ensure that cases of violence being reported are properly investigated and the perpetrators duly prosecuted.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi

Group photgraph of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalsits (NAWOJ) in partnership with GADA, Peace and Security Network and Minsitry of Women Affairs, Rivers State in commemorating the International Day for the Elimiantion of violence Against women in Port Harcourt.