Lois Otse Adams
The institute franchise du Nigeria and the Embassy of France on the 2nd of December, 2022 hosted a Breakfast Debate Programme on “Stand up Against SGBV” in an effort to join the fight against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The programme aims to address issues circling women and girls who are victims of SGBV.
Speaking at the roundtable, the French ambassador to Nigeria and Emmanuelle Blatmann of ECOWAS said the embassy’s campaign to end GBV against women and girls was a part of a transnational initiative to create awareness on SGBV.
She lamented that 55 per cent of women all over the world had been victims of sexual harassment and violence.
“In every 11 minutes in the world, a woman is a victim of violence and there is still a lot to be done.
“The French embassy in trying to eradicate violence against women and girls had raised several funds annually or every 18 months to support organizations, civil groups and advocacy groups in Nigeria to support women, especially in areas where they are assimilated in empowerment projects.
“For instance, right now we are supporting a project for the South of Nigeria, especially Edo State, for victims of human trafficking and prostitution.”
She further explained that there were also provisions that cater for widows in difficult situations and victims of Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF).
She suggested that although statistics of girls and women suffering from SGBV were higher, the Nigerian government should submit projects that should cover both genders.
Citing the complications of wars and how children remain the worst hit, she pointed out that little boys are often the victims of war crimes.
“The issue of terrorism is a global mess. In France and other countries, there have been terror attacks resulting in bloodshed, kidnappings, incarceration and death.
“In times of natural disasters and crisis, women and children have always been the worst hit. Terrorists use rape, forced marriage, violence against women and children as a weapon of war, and so the French embassy has an objective to protect victims in all multilateral forms,” she said.
“It is part of our foreign diplomacy to advocate for laws and enforce the laws because sometimes the laws are not implemented to protect women and children in wars.”
She called on all stakeholders to come together to effect change to eradicate violence in all forms.
She reaffirmed the country’s effort in exchanging vital information and intelligence, especially in countries where terrorist groups operate.
“it is not that easy because it is not just terrorist groups or Islamic groups as history has shown in countries like Vietnam’s CHECHNYA Struggle. The fight against terrorism and such struggles are difficult to win.”
When asked about the embassy’s effort to protect human rights activists and her thought on how the Nigerian government should tackle it, she maintained that the position of the French government is to advocate, show practices and methods to eradicate SGBV to the Nigerian government.
