"Gender Based Violence Cases Under-reported," Women Affairs Minister

Nigeria’s Women Affairs Minister, Dame Pauline Tallen says that cases of rape and other forms of gender based violence especially against women are largely under-reported.

She said this while speaking as a guest on the UN Sportlight Initiative Town Hall on Violence Against Women, on the 25th of August.

According to her, “for every one reported case of Gender Based Violence, 10 are not reported.

I am happy that the last speaker you just interviewed on the street confirmed that some communities try to suppress and stop people from from reporting Gender-Based Violence.”

Tallen called on governments to to put an end to the rising cases of rape and other forms of violence against women and girls in their countries.

She urged victims to speak up to end the scourge against the women folk adding that naming and shaming perpetrators will serve as a deterrent to other culprits.

In her words, “all hands must be on deck. People must come out and speak, support, and encourage victims. It is the perpetrators that should be shamed.

“That is where I will commend the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum. Governor Fayemi is one of the first governors that launched the Sex Offenders Register in his state,” she added.

Te Minister said that the Federal Government is committed to ending Gender Based Violence and called on other states of the federation to follow in the footsteps of Lagos and Ekiti in opening the Sex Offenders Register.

She is of the opinion that keeping such records will call the rapists to order and stem the ugly trend and other violent crimes.