Spotlight initiative: UN praises pact with Ebonyi Govt, lauds achievements in 5 years

The United Nations Spotlight Initiative has lauded the achievements made in five years in the fight to end Violence Against Women and Girls in Ebonyi State. Mrs Varghese John, the National Coordinator for UN Spotlight Initiative, UN Resident Coordinators Office, made the remarks during the EU-UN Close-out and Handover in the state. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the nitiative is a global drive to eliminate violence against women and girls, a UN action in partnership with the EU John attributed the success made to strong collaborative partnerships among the state government, key actors and  people of Ebonyi. She maintained that the promising results showed that further actions and interventions were achievable and would be sustained in safe hands. “We hope for home grown solutions that would actually be taken by government and stakeholders, especially where there is gap such as access to justice and implementation of policies. “What we saw as success would not have been achieved if not for the partnership we have with state government, civil society organisations and people of Ebonyi . “As the national coordinator of spotlight initiative, I am here just to witness the handover ceremony for Ebonyi,” John said. Gov Francis Nwifuru expressed satisfaction with the impacts, support and commitments by the UN agencies to ensure elimination of the scourge in the society. Nwifuru, who was represented by Mr Moses Odunwa, the Speaker, Ebonyi House of Assembly, said it took synergy of all partners to achieve the set goals. He reiterated the state government’s commitment to full actualisation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law in the state. “The state government is ready and committed to ensure no offender escapes punishment. “Survivors and the general public should report cases to traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders involved for justice and punishment of perpetrators,” Nwifuru said. The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Felicia Nwankpuma, pledged to remain at the forefront of the global movement to end the scourge in Ebonyi. Nwankpuma urged stakeholders, CSOs and other partners to continue with the existing collaboration, to create a society where women and girls would live in safety and realise their human rights. She stated that the initiative had challenged harmful gender norms and stereotypes that perpetuated violence. She, however, commended the EU and the UN for their unwaverimg support and commitment to the cause so far. “Over five years, we made tremendous progress in the fight to end the trend. “The spotlight initiative allowed us to implement targeted and evidence-based strategies to address the root cause of the menace. “We have seen a significant increase in reporting of cases, created awareness and broken the culture of silence. “Also, we have made remarkable progress and we will continue to shine spotlight on violence against women and girls, until it is eradicated from our society,” Nwankpuma said. Mrs Ngozi Obichukwu, Commissioner for Aviation, also applauded the UN agencies for their support and strengthening the system to respond effectively. According to her, the state took extra effort to ensure that the project was perfectly done. NAN reports that the ceremony featured beneficiaries of spotlight initiative, interventions and impacts in the state.