By: Edem Archibong, Calabar
According to resolution 48/104 adopted on December 20th, 1993 for the declaration on Elimination of Violence Against Women And Girls (VAWG) by the United Nations General Assembly of which Nigeria is member had “recognize the urgent need for the Universal application to women, the rights and principles with regard to equality, Security, Liberty, Integrity and dignity of all human beings”.
The declaration also noted “that those rights and principles are enshrined in International instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women and the Convention against Torture and others cruelty, inhuman or degrading Treatment or Punishment”.
They also confirmed that “violence against women constitutes a violation of the rights and foundamental freedoms of women and impairs or nullifies their enjoyment of those rights and freedoms in the case of violence against women”.
The world power further “recognize that violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between Men and women which have led to domination and discrimination against women by Men and preventful advancement of women and violence against is one of the crucial social mechanism by which women are forced into subordinate position not to be compared with men”.
In paragraph 23 of the annex to Economic and Social Council resolution 1990/15 of 24th May,1990 recognize that violence against women in the family and Society was pervasive and cut across lines of income class and culture to be matched by urgent and effective steps to eliminate its incidence”.
The Assembly further recalled the”Economic and Social Council resolution of 1991/18 of 30 May which the Council recommended the development of a framework for international instrument that would address explicitly the issue of violence against women”.
Finally, the assembly saw the need for a clear and comprehensive definition of violence against women, a clear statement of rights to be applied to ensure the Elimination of violence against women in all its forms, a commitment by States in respect of their responsibilities and commitment and the International Communities at large to eliminate violence against women. And this informed the solemn proclamation on the following declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women And urges that every effort be made so that it becomes generally known and respected by each member states thus:
Article 1 of UN declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women state that “the term violence against women “means any act of gender based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women including threats of such acts, coercion or abitrary deprivation of liberty, wether occurring in public or in private life.
Article 2: Violence Against Women shall be understood to the following: (a) physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family including, battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry-related violence, marital rape, Female Genitals Multilations (FGM) and others traditional practices harmful to women, Non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;
(b) Physical, Sexual and Psychological violence occurring within the general community including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution;
(c) physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condone by the state wherever it occurrs.
Ideally, the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Article of this declaration are still extant for the public consumption but for this discussion, we wish to limits our focus here to draw the curtain close for wants of space.
It should be understandable that the intent and purpose of these UN declaration analogy is for creation of awareness on the necessity and foundamental significants emergence of a messiah groups known to be identified as WARIF in 21st century to play the role which could be typifies as the historical late Mary Slessor who came from Scotland as a young lady missionary into the ancient old Calabar city during pre-colonial era with the mission of ensuring abolishment of obnoxious traditional practices of killing twins children.
Similarly in this case, the symbolics three messiah philanthropies group’s emergence with global concern to salvage and redeem women folks in remote Ejagam Speaking Communities from all forms of gender violence and harmful traditional practices and belief system is highly commendable.
Systematically, congratulations to United Nations Women initiative who are the principal sponsors on the fight to rescue women from all forms of violence and harmful cultural practices. It is also common knowledge that this initiative is ably supported by Ford Foundation International while the implementation of the United Nations General Assembly policy on this generational scourge for Elimination against women and girls (VAWG) as experience in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State with highest prevalence record is exactly what WARIF (Women Against Risk International Foundation) who are saddle with the responsibilities of providing an unyielding commitment to ensure Elimination of Violence Against Women And Girls VAWG plus other Harmful Practices (HP).
WARIF are mainly in Partnership with the UN Women And had recently made a leading ground breaking initiative in what they referred to – The UN Leap Project designed deliberately assess the commitments made by the Traditional leaders and Faith based leaders whom have consented to ensure the ending of Violence Against Women And Girls (VAWG) and Elimination of Harmful Cultural Practices.
To review this process successful, this will require a total evaluation of the progress made and also forge ahead to uncovers the existing challenges while developing the strategies to drive the lasting change for it.
In the realization of the vision of elimination of Violence Against Women And Girls; stopping the harmful practices, WARIF as an implementation channel had ensured deliberate empowerment of traditional leaders and Faith based leaders as key agents of transformation within their respective Communities by providing them with the required knowledge and tools to enable them spearhead awareness campaigns and advocacy aimed at dismantling harmful gender norms and practices in their various domain.
It is a cornerstone design of the UN LEAP Project for the creation and strengthening of an accountability framework to ensure continued progress in the fight against gender based violence as part of the United Nations global initiative to eradicate such violence. No gain saying, WARIF have on their part implemented an effective sensitization program in several communities across Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu and Oyo States respectively.
Additionally, WARIF is noted so far to have been directly engaged not less than 140 traditional leaders and equipped them with critical understanding of the widespread impact of gender based violence and their pivotal role they need to play in it prevention activities .
Candidly, WARIF kick started the Stakeholders meeting in Akamkpa Local Government Area on 8th January,2025 with the beneficiary training which took place on 9th January,2025 with the initial focus training to have males to be involve, but later, its was traditional leaders/Religious Leaders that were trained to drive the change of preconceived ideologies norms and practices that will promote gender based violence (GBV) and eliminate harmful practices perpetrated against women and girls in Ekerbe South and Nsia-Aya Community under Akamkpa Local Government Area.
The results of the trained beneficiaries, they, in turn became agents of sensitizations in their various villages/Clan including the Churches in the area. This sensitization suddenly metamorphus into a declaration on 9th May,2025 by the Paramount Ruler Of Akamkpa Local Government Area, His Royal Majesty, Ophot Agbor Ewa Ebabni/ Chairman of Akamkpa Traditional Rulers Council represented by His Royal Highness, Ntufam Barrister Richard Asuquo, Clan Head Ekarebe South Community then officially made a proclamation and declared an immediate and total ban on the practice of Female Genitals Mutilations FGM, wife battery and all forms of sexual violence.
On the bases of this declaration for an enforceability, WARIF officials held a dialogue with the Community leaders in both Ekarebe South and Nsia-Aya including the Stakeholders from the Cross River State Ministry of Women Affairs were in attendance.
Conclusively, the response from the just concluded training/seminar on 11th July,2025 truly testify the magic wand method adopted by WARIF has not only made the people to whole heartedly accept to abandoned their traditional and cultural life pattern and becomes, change agents for Elimination of SGBV (Sexual and Gender Based Violence) in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.
This could be traced to the fact that the refresher training and dialogue/Seminar session which was anchored by Veronica Eshue Abue, the WARIF program Officer took time to explain eloquently with fluency using simple tense to drive her points to the assimilation of the participants mostly when giving the meaning of gender based violence and the different types of gender based violence in line with the UN meaning .
However, the WARIF program came to an end with most participants calling for sustainable action plan to keep them abreast on the focus as true sensitization agents while commendation on the standard of the program were appreciated.
End.