A non-governmental organisation, Sexual and Gender Based Network(SJN), has tasked journalists with increased reportage of sexual and gender-based violence so as to reduce the incidence in society.
The group, with an advocacy cluster under USAID-funded Strengthening Civil Advocacy and Local Engagement, (SCALE) said amplifying the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, (ACJL) and the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP) law in Enugu State by journalists would elicit actions from relevant stakeholders on the justice law reforms objectives.
The cluster, comprising Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), SGBV Justice Network, Agbani Farm as well as Lawyers Alert, Nigerian League of Women Voters among others, said strengthening reporting channels would significantly improve the likelihood of prosecution of offenders of the gender based violence.
Speaking at a sensitisation meeting for media representatives on effective documentation of reporting SGBV cases in Enugu on Thursday, the state coordinator of SJN, Margaret Obiegue, lamented the regular occurrence of sexual and gender based violence in the society, saying the media sensitisation was part of efforts to address the challenge.
The state chairperson of the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Comrade Ngozi Ngene, said the group relied so much in the media to highlight the various acts of gender based violence as it is through that that the public would begin to kick against it.
“The media workers should use their various tools to let the general public know about violence against persons.
” We are also urging the media to use their channels to drum support for the implementation of the ACJL and VAPP laws in Enugu State.
“This is because some people are not aware of the reformed laws, people tend to protect the perpetrators of sexual based violence rather than the victims of such violence, hence the media have to highlight the punishment involved should anyone contravene the law.
“Whenever gender violence occurs, either against the male or female, the media should hype it to dissuade gender based violence in the society,” Ngene said.
A gender activist, Barr. Nnenna Anozie, said that the administration of criminal justice law is about restorative justice.
Anozie said that the essence of the reformed laws is not for punitive measure but to ensure that justice is done and that is dispensed within a record time without unnecessarily delaying justice.
She explained that the “ACJL takes care of the victims or survivors as well as the perpetrators,” saying that the perpetrators rights should be observed while survivors should be paid compensation for their loss and trauma.
She said that the VAPP law is meant to eliminate violence in public and private life to prohibit violence of any kind.