The Edo Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Magdalene Ohenhen, has said that the State Government is determined to end all forms of violence against children in the state.
Ohenhen gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Sunday.
She said that the state has developed the first draft for the domestication of the End Violence against Children (EVAC) action plan which was being reviewed by relevant stakeholders.
The commissioner said that after the review, the state government would then formulate a policy on the matter.
“We have developed a multi-sectoral response plan on EVAC.“
The draft has provisions on how to help children and adolescents manage risk and challenges, and how to change attitude and social norms that encourage violence and discrimination.
“It also provides for promoting and providing support service, implementing laws and policies that protect the child as well as counseling and awareness campaigns,’’ she said.
NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016 launched the End Violence against Children (EVAC) by 2030 campaign with a call on states to do same.
Ohenhen said the state was also on the verge of developing Edo Safe Guiding Policy to compliment the Child Right Act.
“The safe guiding policy deals with actors around the child and how their activities negate the protection of the child.
‘’We want parents, teachers and care givers to know that some of the ways they deal with children might be violent hence the need for the policy.