Kogi First Lady advocates collective action against gender-based violence

Wife of the Kogi State Governor, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo has called for collective action towards tackling the root causes of gender-based violence in the society.

The call, she said became imperative in view of the rising cases of violence against women and the devastating impact on children, the family and society in general.

Mrs Ododo made the call at the Government House, Lokoja during a programme organized to mark the International Day For Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Hajia Sefinat emphasized the need to entrench family values of love, tolerance and mutual respect by spouses as part of solutions to address the menace.

The wife of the Kogi state Governor implored men to ensure mutual respect for their spouses in view of the sacrifices they make in the family setting.

While promising synergy between her office, Non-Governmental Organizations and Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, the Kogi State First Lady noted that the fight against gender-based violence was a collective responsibility.

Mrs Ododo however implored women and girls to arm themselves with knowledge and requisite entrepreneurial skills to become empowered and self-reliant saying that the campaign against gender-based violence needed to be taken to the grassroots where it is likely to be more prevalent.

Hajia Sefinat Ododo used the occasion to applaud the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her support in ensuring the elimination of violence against women in Kogi State.

There were goodwill messages from various speakers at the event who further advised parents to train their female children to be modest as well as nurture the boys to respect the rights of women.