Some traditional rulers in Igbo land have joined their voices with other critical stakeholders in demanding for total eradication of sexual and gender based violence and other harmful practices against women.
In Ebonyi State, some monarchs announced inclusion of women as part of cabinet members and decision makers with a view to tackling the age long discrimination against the female folk in the region.
Stakeholders called for end to all forms of gender based discrimination and violence, noting that by involving women in all areas of administration which includes traditional rulers’ cabinets, politics, strengthening communities developmental bye-laws, abolition of all obnoxious cultures against humans, South East and Nigeria in general would be more progressive.
They made their feelings known during a day’s submission for custodians of cultures, traditional rulers, religious leaders, town union executives, LGA chairpersons, Vice chairmen, Secretaries, Development centers coordinators and leaders of women groups on Ending Gender Based Violence and other harmful practices in the state.
The event was organised by Better Health for Rural Women, Children, Orphans and Internally Displaced Persons Foundation with support from United Nations Population Funds held at Ebonyi North, South and Central Senatorial zones of the state.
In her remarks, the wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mary-Magdalene Nwifuru encouraged the stakeholders to look into obnoxious cultures practiced in the state against persons which amount to SGV/discrimination with a view to abolishing them for the sake of posterity.
The State First Lady, represented at the summit by Leader of BERWO technical team, Kelechi Mbam, disclosed that cultures and traditions are life wires of every geographical setting but frowned at some which are contrary to constitutional human rights and advocated for their abolition.
Supporting the notion, the traditional ruler of Oriuzor autonomous community in Ezza North LGA of the state, Eze Gabriel Nwite- Ngele who attested to great positive impacts of female members of his cabinet to the development of the area disclosed that women became members of his cabinet in 2005.
He said, “I am not just accepting to end gender based discrimination and violence, it was ended in 2005 in Oriuzor autonomous community of Ezza North LGA in the state when we started involvement of women in decision making. To further this step, I introduced women participation in Ezeogo’s cabinet. We gave four chances for the women; one from each village that makes up the Oriuzor autonomous community. The women were crowned chiefs and given full rights.
“So, coming to gender based violence or discrimination, we have a bye-law against that in our community even before domestication of VAPP law in the state. All the chiefs are well informed about it; women are no more being humiliated in my community. Our bye-law also has provisions for protection of widows. Childless women now inherit their husband’s property without undue interference from in-laws.
“We the traditional rulers of Ezza clan collectively passed a law against perpetuators of any form of female genital mutilation and placed fine of One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100,000.00) for defaulters – the traditional birth attendants, parents, nurses and even the child herself because we noticed some uninformed girls ignorantly insist on being circumcised to allegedly prevent some myths.”
