- Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, suggests establishing mobile courts to expedite the trial of sexual offenders
- Ohaneye highlights efforts to collaborate with traditional rulers and plans to establish an integrity group for overseeing women empowerment funds
During a conference of Commissioners of State Ministries of Women Affairs in Nigeria held on Wednesday in Abuja, the Minister for Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, advocated for establishing mobile courts to expedite the trial of sexual offenders.
Ohaneye emphasized the need for a specialized court system, stating that it would accelerate the prosecution process. The conference, organized by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (RoLAC) Phase II Programme and funded by the European Union through the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), served as a platform to address key challenges faced by women, children, and persons with disabilities in Nigeria regarding access to justice.
The minister highlighted ongoing efforts by her ministry to collaborate with traditional rulers in educating communities about the imperative to end violence against women and children. Additionally, Ohaneye announced plans to establish an integrity group tasked with overseeing funds and grants allocated for women empowerment initiatives.
Danladi Plang, Head of Programmes at International IDEA, underscored the importance of the conference in shedding light on the obstacles encountered by victims of sexual violence in seeking justice. He emphasized the necessity of addressing these challenges and exploring opportunities to enhance accessibility to justice for affected individuals.