The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to intensifying the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), calling for concerted efforts to prevent, report, and prosecute perpetrators.
Dr. Oyebanji, who chairs the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, made the call in Ado-Ekiti while addressing committee members at a meeting held in her office.
She described the rising number of reported GBV cases in the state as worrisome, noting that the figures were increasing at an alarming rate — a development she said required urgent, coordinated intervention from government, security agencies, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations, and communities.
The governor’s wife stressed that combating GBV must remain a government priority, warning that the growing prevalence of violence against women, children, and other vulnerable persons posed a serious threat to the wellbeing, dignity, and security of society.
She said the reported figures were not merely statistics but a reflection of real suffering experienced by victims and survivors, adding that more proactive measures were needed to address the root causes of violence and ensure victims receive adequate protection and support.
“The fight against Gender-Based Violence requires conscious, deliberate, and sustained efforts from all of us,” she said. “We must strengthen our prevention mechanisms, encourage victims and survivors to speak out, ensure prompt reporting, and make certain that perpetrators are brought to justice.”
Dr. Oyebanji urged committee members to intensify sensitisation and public awareness campaigns across the state’s 16 local government areas, particularly at the grassroots level, to educate residents on the different forms of GBV, available reporting channels, and support services accessible to survivors.
She also called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, security organisations, healthcare providers, judicial institutions, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community-based organisations to ensure a coordinated response to cases of violence.
The governor’s wife emphasised the importance of protecting survivors from further trauma, urging stakeholders to strengthen referral mechanisms and provide victims with the necessary medical, psychological, legal, and social support.
She further stressed that perpetrators must face the full weight of the law, describing accountability as critical to deterring future violence.
Dr. Oyebanji assured committee members that the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji would continue supporting institutions and agencies involved in the fight against GBV, particularly those providing protection, intervention, and rehabilitation services to survivors.
Earlier in her address, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, said GBV had gone beyond being a private or family matter, describing it as a major threat to peace, security, human dignity, and sustainable development.
She noted that no society could achieve meaningful development while women, girls, and other vulnerable persons continued to live under the threat of abuse, violence, and exploitation, stressing that eradicating GBV required a whole-of-society approach involving families, communities, and institutions — not government action alone.
Other stakeholders at the meeting called for stronger preventive measures, improved response and referral mechanisms, enhanced survivor protection, and deeper community engagement.
They also advocated greater public awareness of existing laws and support systems — particularly among women and girls in vulnerable communities — while urging victims and witnesses to report cases to the appropriate authorities.
Civil society representatives further charged stakeholders to hold perpetrators accountable within the ambit of the law, warning that impunity could encourage the recurrence of violence.
The meeting gave stakeholders the opportunity to review existing strategies, identify gaps in the state’s GBV response mechanism, and chart a more coordinated approach to prevention, survivor support, and prosecution of offenders.