NHRC receives 814 human rights violation cases in Bauchi State

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) says it received 814 complaints
of human rights violations from January to November in Bauchi State. The Coordinator of the commission in the state, Yachit Dala, made this known at a rally to mark the 2021 Sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence on Thursday in Bauchi.

The sixteen Days of Activism is an international campaign that commences on Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on Dec. 10, Human Rights Day.

The campaign is being coordinated each year by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership to raise awareness on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and eliminate the menace.

Dala, who said that the complaints cut across all forms of human rights violations, added that 414 of the cases were gender-based and domestic violence.

Yachit noted that “the larger number of complaints received by the commission were due to awareness we created over time.”

She explained that the objective of the campaign was to promote behavioural change by emphasising positive masculinities and promoting gender equality norms.

The coordinator urged policy makers to provide stiffer penalties for perpetrators of sexual and gender based violence in the state, stressing that stakeholders should always support the establishment of child protection laws.

Also, the Executive Director, Attah Sisters Helping Hand Foundation (ASHHF), Comfort Attah, said that the sixteen Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence was an annual event in support of the elimination of violence against women and girls.

She noted that the 2021 theme of the day “Orange the World, End Violence against the World” utilises the colour orange to represent a brighter future, free from violence against women and girls.

“The involvement of stakeholders in the mobilisation against violence against women, especially in the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic is essential,” Attah said.

She stressed the need for collaboration with relevant stakeholders to address the menace of all forms of rights violations.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the rally was organised by NHRC, in collaboration with Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Federation of Muslim Women in Nigeria (FOMWAN) and ASHHF