The House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development says plans are underway to sensitise 36 State Houses of Assembly to the need to adopt the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act in their respective states.
The Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Stella Ngwu (PDP-Enugu), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, in Abuja, that the Act, when adopted, would tackle various forms of violence against women nationwide.
According to her, women in the country suffer various forms of violence, including rape, acid bath, battering, abduction and forced marriage.
She said that the planned national discourse with Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of Women Affairs Committees from 36 Houses of Assembly and Commissioners for Women Affairs was crucial in the fight against violence.
She said: “So that we sensitise them on the need for the state houses of assembly to domesticate this law to fight violence against persons which majority are women.
“I believe that when this law is put in place, it is going to scare people from practising acts of violence against people or against women in particular.”
She, however, said that the Act it could only be implemented in the Federal Capital Territory for now due to some criminal aspects of it.
The lawmaker also urged women not to relent in their fight against various forms of violence being meted out to them or their relations.
She decried the low representation of women in the various arms of government, saying their active participation in politics would expand their frontiers.(NAN)