Ekiti establishes sexual assault referral centre for rape victims

The Ekiti state government has established a sexual assault referral centre where victims of rape and other sexual assault will receive medical and psychological attention, rather than being abandoned by the state.

The government also assured that the state will strengthen the policy of naming and shaming perpetrators of rape by publishing their photographs on the state’s website and pasting them in palaces.

Ekiti State First Lady, Erelu Bisi Fayemi gave the revelation during an advocacy visit to the state House of Assembly to expand the frontiers of Gender Based Violence(GBV) prevention in the state.

She stated that the referral centre located within the premises of the Ekiti atate University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, will provide well guided and discreet medical support for survivors.

“The centre will be operational soon. It will attend to gender based violence survivors in a prompt, discreet and professional manner. Discussions have been held with local government council chairmen to replicate the centre in all their local governments,” she said.

Mrs. Fayemi applauded the assembly for the passage of the Gender Violence Bill, 2019 and the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Sexually Assaulted Minors Bill, 2020, saying these will help in fast- tracking action against perpetrators of gender related violence.

“We are ready to strengthen this aspect of naming and shaming of perpetrators of rape on social media and in our palaces because it is embedded in our cultural practices not to cover up perpetrators of evil,” the first lady added.

She urged the lawmakers to declare emergency against gender based violence through robust and strong legal framework, while charging the governors to also set up machinery for the promulgation of the laws that will prevent rape and take care of post -event trauma in their states.

The first lady added that a gender based violence committee comprising the police, traditional rulers, religious bodies and non -governmental organisations had been set up to take the fight to the community level, where there is high prevalent rate of rape and domestic violence against women.

“I implore the assembly to intensify the gender based violence war across all the constituencies to make Ekiti state safe for all and sundry and reduce the incidence of rape to the barest minimum,” she said.

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Speaker, Ekiti state House of Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye, who applauded the first lady for her strides in women empowerment and emancipation, said Mrs. Fayemi has etched her name in gold as a campaigner for respect for the human dignity and protection of gender.

“Most of the laws being proposed in other states have been introduced long ago in Ekiti through the instrumentality of the first lady.

“Today, Ekiti has become a reference point in terms of protection of the rights of the citizens and maintenance of equality among genders. We are ready to partner the government to ensure that those who violate the peoples’ rights are punished,” he assured.

Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs, Kemi Balogun, advised churches, mosques and cultural groups to join the fray against rape that was fast becoming a pandemic.