Senator Daisy Danjuma, who formerly represented Edo South in the Senate, and Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State have both called for gender parity in positions of power.
The governor made the appeal at the opening of the Senator Daisy Danjuma Women Centre in Benin City, where he also pledged that his administration would continue to emphasize reforms and policies that would ensure the safety of women and other vulnerable people in the state.
Senator Daisy Ehanire Danjuma, according to Obaseki, was honoured with the naming of the centre because of her work on behalf of the most helpless sections of society.
“The unprecedented increase in cases of abuse, particularly during the COVID-19 lockdown, was a wakeup call and led my administration to institute a number of legal and policy reforms aimed at protecting women and other vulnerable people in the society,” he added.
“This center is a key part in the series of concrete steps and actions taken by this administration to salvage the future of vulnerable persons, particularly women, and youths, and provide them with an opportunity for redemption.
“The center is well-equipped and houses a shelter for female victims of human trafficking and irregular migration and a sexual assault center. We hope these facilities are properly utilised.”
The governor continued: “In establishing this center, we have received support from IOM, partnered with the Italian government, the federal government, and the Government of Switzerland.”
“With the support we get from partners, we believe that in the near future, the center will become a reference point for the support of women.”
“Daisy Danjuma is an emblem and a symbol of an Edo woman and we are glad to place her in front as a role model for our women.”
“I grew up knowing and understanding that women need to be empowered. If left to me, I would have made sure that my House of Assembly is dominated by women. If I had women in the last House of Assembly, they wouldn’t have run away.”
“I have advocated for more women in politics, opening up the system for more women to participate but my fellow politicians have not agreed but be rest assured we will continue the fight.”
Obaseki added, “Fifty per cent of my cabinet are women. That is what I have control over and I want the Federal Government to take a cue. I assure you today that we will do everything as a government to make this center the model for female protection in Nigeria.”
Senator Daisy Danjuma, who was honoured by the naming of the facility in her honour, praised the state government, saying, “The state government has passed the necessary laws to tackle gender-based violence and has constituted the committee to ensure the seamless implementation of the Violence Against Person Prohibition (VAPP) Act.”
The protection of the State’s most vulnerable citizens will be bolstered by the establishment of this centre. With the support of the centre, abused women will have a safe place to go to get help and a chance to seek justice.
Mrs Betsy Obaseki, First Lady of Edo State, said the gender-based committee has taken precautions to protect the safety and privacy of all those who seek shelter there.
She noted, “With the provision of this center, we can assure you of greater productivity from the Edo State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee. Our goal is to empower survivors to seek justice and healing and to prevent further incidents of violence from occurring.”
Earlier, Edo State’s Commissioner of Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria, said, “This commissioning marks another milestone taken by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration in combating gender-based violence in the State. The center will be offering lifelines to victims and survivors of gender-based violence.”
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