Ekiti state government has established a Social Intervention Centre in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to provide temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence, as well as women and children confronted with crisis.
The centre, which consist four well-furnished twin three bedroom flats, was inaugurated by the Wife of the Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, on Friday.
Before the establishment of the centre, victims of domestic abuse, the displaced, waifs and strays have been accommodated in apartments rented for them by the governor’s wife as part of her social welfare schemes.
To use the new facility, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi, clarified that victims must first present their cases to the ministry for verification.
In her address at the occasion, the First Lady said that the facility was a further testament to the commitment of the Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration to the promotion of the wellbeing of women.
She explained that the social intervention centre would serve the immediate need of women and young girls who require urgent intervention as a result of family or social crisis and emergencies.
Fayemi said that the centre was in the furtherance of the implementation of the Gender-based Violence Prohibition Law (GBVL) of the state.
In a similar vein, she disclosed that the state government had set aside a GBVL Survivors’ Fund and inaugurated the GBVL management committee with membership that cut across the judiciary, law enforcement agents, non-governmental and community-based organisations.
Before establishing the SIC, the First Lady said that she had led officials of the state on a tour of the Lagos State rehabilitation centre for women, which serves as shelter for distressed women, as well as another facility for the physically-challenged.
She said, “We need to put in place structures and mechanism to ensure that our women, and indeed citizens of the state, don’t suffer. We will also ensure that more GBVL-related cases are prosecuted to conclusion. The family court was established partly for this purpose.
“The survivor fund is meant to provide business start-up capital for victims of gender-based violence and to pay their medical bills and children school fees where necessary.”
The governor’s wife called on the general public to be their brother’s keeper by donating clothing, home appliances, food stuffs, kitchen utensils and other items to the centre through the ministry of women affairs.
She frowned on the spate of defilement of minors and rape of women across the country, which she said had become a global trend that debases womanhood.
Against this backdrop, she said the state government, the Ekiti Development Foundation and other non-governmental organisations, as well as concerned Ekiti citizens were collaborating to deal with rapists and those engaged in other forms of violence against women.
Admonishing perpetrators to turn over a new leaf, she warned that the gate of the prison was wide open for anybody found guilty of the said offences.
Last modified: March 24, 2013