FG to reform women ministry, introduce SGBV mobile courts

The Federal Government says it will be introducing mobile courts as part of efforts to address cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), among others. At a briefing in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, said: “If we have a mobile court, it will help as we go for our advocacy against SGBV. We have been advocating, spending money, to no avail.

“When victims report, police will come in for arrest, we will take the victim straight to the hospital to confirm in cases of injuries and then the mobile courts come in to ensure justice is served.”

She said the move was part of “key reforms” and targets she hopes to realise in her first 100 days in office.

According to the minister, for interventions targeting grassroots women to really get to them, things must be done differently; hence, the government will be working with women cooperatives to channel empowerment projects that can be sustained by recipients after the initial support from the government.

Government, she added, is moving away from doing things the old way, as it has realised that some of its key interventions targeting rural women are not yielding desired results and not sustainable.

“The narrative has changed in this ministry. We have decided to forge ahead with more sustainable moves that will impact our women and children.

“Sanitary towels being given to girls in some schools from time to time is not sustainable; therefore, we have decided that instead of giving them the sanitary towels, we set up sanitary pad production ventures.

Sharing gas cylinders to rural women is also not sustainable; the ministry is concerned about who refills the gas stove for the rural woman after the first refill. We have decided to, instead, give them charcoal burners and biogas stoves among others,” he said.

In a meeting with students’ union representatives on the sidelines of the briefing, the minister reiterated government’s stand with Nigerian women, girls and boys, as well as her stand for justice on any case of sexual harassment in the country.