Gombe Youth Parliament Frowns At Gender-based Violence
By Najib Sani, Gombe
The Gombe State Youth Parliament has expressed outrage over the disturbing trend of gender-based violence in the society, calling on youth to live safely.
Speaker of the parliament, Aliyu Danladi, made the expression at a grand road walk on Saturday as part of 16 days activism against gender based violence organised by the parliament.
Danladi, lamented the girl-child labour in farm work, a practice that denies girls their right to education and exposes them to exploitation.
“We staged this walk to create awareness on gender based violence and orient people on how to live safely and protect themselves,” Danladi said.
According to Danladi, some women also face cyber bullying and body shaming on social media describing the acts as violence against women.Also speaking,
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Asaph Liatu Lewi, emphasised that gender-based violence affects not only women but also men, and that the parliament’s initiative aimed to enlighten youth that such violence is a crime punishable by law.
Lewi urged parents to prioritise girls’ education to enable them progress and be useful members of the society.
The road walk, which began at the palace of the Emir of Gombe and ended at the Pantami Township Stadium, was supported by United Nations’ Population Fund (UNFPA) and attended by HANS Centre for Social Justice and Development, United States’ Government Alumni Gombe State, ACCESS INITIATIVE Africa, and Gombe State Skating Association.
