By Amaka Isikala

The Anambra State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Chinyere Esther Onyekesi, has inaugurated a committee to review the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP), charging members to identify gaps in the legislation and recommend reforms that will strengthen protection, access to justice and support for victims and survivors.

Onyekesi, who spoke during the inauguration in her office at Women Development Center Awka on Sept 8, said the review was timely as Anambra continued to confront gaps in awareness, enforcement and victim support, stressing that the law must respond to current realities and emerging forms of violence.

She said the review would address issues including sexual violence, harmful traditional practices, economic abuse and emerging forms such as cyber violence, while urging the committee to consult communities, listen to survivors and propose amendments capable of making justice faster and protection stronger.

The commissioner described the assignment as more than a legal exercise, urging members to approach their mandate with dignity, compassion and courage. She also called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies, security agencies, development partners and other stakeholders to give the committee full support.

The Supervisory Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Barr. Nkiru Mokwe, in her welcome remarks, said the inauguration represented a renewed commitment to translating the provisions of the VAPP Law into meaningful action, effective protection, access to justice and support for persons affected by violence.

Mokwe urged committee members to go beyond meetings by closing gaps and strengthening the State’s response system, stressing the need for an active, responsive, accountable and result-oriented committee focused on practical solutions and measurable impact.

The Head of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Unit, Anambra State Ministry of Justice, Barr. Amara Muojeke, who delivered a goodwill message on behalf of the Attorney-General of the State, said the review had become imperative to strengthen the legal and institutional response to GBV and facilitate positive reforms.

Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) programme in Anambra State, Mrs. Josephine Onah, traced the State’s VAPP implementation journey to 2017, recalling that ROLAC supported the process that led to the assent, gazetting and wider dissemination of the law.

Onah said ROLAC printed 2,000 copies of the law and supported stakeholder engagements, while the implementation process also contributed to the establishment of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in September 2019 to provide survivors with medical attention, psychosocial counselling and forensic documentation.

She explained that a subsequent assessment by NAPTIP, alongside concerns raised by Anambra stakeholders, revealed gaps requiring a comprehensive review of the VAPP Law and related legislation. She said the review would help make the law more responsive to the peculiar realities of the State and strengthen support for survivors.

The Anambra State Judiciary also endorsed the exercise, with the Deputy Chief Registrar, Vivian Udedike, describing the review as timely and necessary. She called for broad consultation involving the Judiciary, Legislature, law enforcement agencies, government ministries, CSOs, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to produce a stronger, practical and enforceable legal framework.

Udedike expressed confidence that the review would address emerging forms of violence, strengthen protection for victims and survivors, promote access to justice and enhance accountability for perpetrators

Members of the review committee were drawn from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), as well as members of the Violence Against Persons Implementation Committee and ROLAC, bringing together key institutions and stakeholders with expertise in the prevention of and response to violence against persons, underscoring a coordinated effort to strengthen the implementation and effectiveness of the VAPP Law in Anambra State.