With a view to preventing and responding to issues of sexual and gender based violence against women and girls with disabilities in Osun State, the Centre for Women’s Health and Information has held separate meetings with relevant ministry and agency of the state government.
During their conversations on Wednesday, the stakeholders resolved to work together in ending menace of sexual assault, molestation and violence against women and girls with disabilities in the state.
Led by the Director of CEWHIN, Atinuke Odukoya, the visiting team included leaders and members of the Community Task Force working to prevent and attend to issues of SGBV against Persons With Disabilities in Osun, officials of CEWHIN and other activists.
After the team met with the Executive Secretary of Osun State Bureau For People With Disabilities, Ayobami Oyetunde, at his office within Osun State Government Secretariat, Odukoya, in an interview with The Point, said, “We came to tell them what we have been doing in regards to prevention and response to issues of gender and sexual based violence against women and girls with disabilities and see how we can work together to ensure that there is a lot of awareness going on in terms of prevention against violence against women and girls with disabilities.”
She added, “We also introduced to them the Community Task Force, talking about the work they have been doing and how they have been as it were, a succour for women and girls with disabilities who are having issues within the state.
“We also had conversations around how they can increase awareness and knowledge regarding the disability law in the state and encourage that every government action including the reopening of the SARC and others are thought of upfront.
“The Executive Secretary already joined the community task force and following through with the cases with them. He has related with the chairman of the task force and Citizen Wey about cases of violence and assault against some persons with disabilities. We need to do more of that. We just talked about engaging the National Orientation Agency and he promised to engage with them to help us propagate issues around prevention for women and girls with disabilities.”
Also briefing The Point on the outcome of the meeting and collaboration, Ayobami Oyetunde, the Executive Secretary for the Osun State Agency for People With Disabilities said, “They came to visit me on how we can partner to better the lives of women, the girl child and also the people with disabilities.
“I told them we are going to support them so that they can achieve target objectives and as well for them to work hand in hand with the agency so that we can also achieve our target objectives.”
On the same day, CEWHIN team also paid a courtesy visit to the Osun State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Social Welfare in Osogbo and advocated for integrating women and girls with disabilities into the Sexual Assault Referral Center services at the State General Hospital, Asubiaro Osogbo.
Welcoming the team to her office, the Commissioner, Ayobola Awolowo affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to work in collaboration with CEWHIN to achieve the set goals for SARC.
She appreciated the efforts of CEWHIN and expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, adding that the collaboration would ensure that persons with disabilities and single parents are adequately considered and supported in SARC operations.
