Violence Against Women
Source: This Day Live
Chairman, House of Representatives Ad hoc Commi-ttee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has concluded plans to sponsor a Paycheque Fairness and Violence against Women Bills
as a palliate to the sufferings of the womenfolk in the country.
Bamidele said the Paycheque bills, which also aims at stamping out violence against women as well as give them economic empowerment, would also allow female entrepreneur to access capital and meet the needs of women owned businesses under a harsh and highly discriminative economy in Nigeria.
The lawmaker, who is representing Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1, regretted that the voices of women are being subjugated in Nigeria in terms of policy making as well as facing serious economic challenges , which he said must be tackled to build a more equitable and virile Nigeria.
In a statement signed by Bamidele in Abuja, he charged all the Federal and State legislators to work hard in the area of women empowerment, both at their legislative duties and in the execution of their constituency projects.
"Our agenda, as members of the House of Representatives and Senate, involves working hard to fight for women's equality and civil rights through protecting, by legislation, a woman's right to choose , strengthening remedies and enforcement for job and pay discrimination wherever it may exist through paycheque fairness bill," he said.
He said the two bills, if passed and assented to, would place the womenfolk on a solid rock to compete with their men counterparts in all the fields of human endeavour.
Bamidele stressed that it will further tackle all forms of violence against women right in their respective homes and in their places of work.
The lawmaker lamented the increasing waves of rape in Nigerian society, calling on the security Agencies and State Houses of Assembly to ensure that all Acts prohibiting such unwholesome habits are implemented by relevant Agencies.
He, however, charged the women to broaden their horizons in terms of having information about their rights and report any incidence of right infringement to the Government Agencies for proper action to be taken against the perpetrators.
"Basically, the MOB Agenda for women will ensure the provision of low-cost preventive screenings and help to mobilise funding for research and prevention of Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Fibroid and other gender related diseases.