Gender-Based Violence: Stakeholders Seek Justice For Vulnerable, Less Privileged In Osun

Victims of gender-based violence with no privilege of funding Legal Aid in Osun State can now heave a sigh of relief as they can now interface with a committee that will seek Justice for them.

This was one of the cardinal points of a Start-Up Meeting on Building a Pro-Bono Culture in Nigeria held in Osogbo, the state capital aimed at providing free legal services for Victims of Sexual and Gender Based Violence and other peculiar cases in the state.

The programme attracted representation from the Justice Research Institute, Nigeria Bar Association, the State Ministry of Justice and other key actors in waging the war against Gender-based violence and other vulnerable cases in the society.

Also constituted at the meeting was the State Gender and Sexual Based Violence Response Team presided over by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Ajibola Basiru.

Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Panel on Anti-Corruption, Mr Akingbolahan Adeniran while addressing participants of the meeting underscored the relevance of the Pro-Bono initiative in the reduction the barest minimum cases of gender-based violence in Nigeria.

Adeniran who said the programme to be fully insitutionalised in Osun, FCT and Kaduna aside Lagos where it started is of key relevance of the partnerships with government agencies and societal bodies is for the project to renew the hope of Social Justice for the common man.

He called on players especially the media to assist it in promoting the ideals and encouraging victims of gender based violence especially Sexual Harassment, Rape among others to seek Justice.

“The project also seeks to bring together a Public-Private partnership Response Team that will seek to identify and provide solutions to the major problems associated with it with a view to achieving Justice for the society.”

“We will also try to put in place several incentives to encourage Lawyers participating in this scheme to serve as motivation for them in the defence of the less privileged in Osun.”

Funmi Owuye, one of the coordinators of the Lagos State Public Interest Law Partnership (LPILP) gave account of the successes achieved so far with emphasis on the need to get the relevant stakeholders to action in the State of Osun.

She enumerated the challenges facing the project calling on Legal Aid Lawyers, the Police, Prisons Service and the media to be more collaborative in making the work easier.

The Technical Partners of the programme also gave presentation on efforts to make Justice available and accessible to the downtrodden.

Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Osun State, Dr Ajibola Basiru stated that in view of the societal factors that influence gender-based violence, efforts must be geared towards improving the capacity of counsels used in the scheme.

He however pledged the resolve of the state government to work hand-in-hand with the facilitators to ensure its success in the state.

Members of the Taskforce include the Police, Members of the Legal Aid Council in Osun, Prisons, NAPTIP, Faith-Based Organizations, Media Practitioners as well as Community and Religious Leaders among others.