Source: Daily Trust
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina has decried the alarming rate of rape cases across the country.

Briefing newsmen yesterday in Abuja, she said her ministry is overwhelmed with series of such cases requiring urgent legal attention.

Some of the recent cases include those of 42 students of Holy Rosary College Enugu allegedly raped by robbers at Sagamu, Ogun State on 31st March and that of widows aged 60 years and above being raped by youths between 17 and 25 years in Opi local government in Enugu State.

The minister said, "an overview data of Gender Based Violence generated for 18 states of the federation and covering the six geo-political zones in 2010 revealed that out of four hundred and seventy nine (479) reported cases, the result is as follows, 21.08 percent of sexual violation, 44.25 percent of physical violations, 18.37 percent of domestic violence, 11.48 percent of harmful traditional practices (HTP) and 2.92 percent of economic violations."

While condemning the acts as barbaric and gross violation of human rights, she said efforts are on going to get the National Assembly to pass into law the CEDAW Bill (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) which is the overall instrument on the enforcement of the rights of women.

She called on victims of rape to come out and report cases, expose perpetrators and on the public to shun stigmatizing rape victims.

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