The Centre for Communication and Social Impact (CCSI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has called for urgent action to combat violence against women.
The call is in reaction to a UN Women report revealing that 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed globally in 2023, with most deaths linked to intimate partners or family members.
The CCSI Executive Director, Ms Babafunke Fagbemi, told newsmen in Abuja on Monday that the statistics is a wake-up call for society to prioritise women’s safety.
Fagbemi, who addressed newsmen to mark the 2024 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, annually marked on Nov. 25, stressed the need for stronger criminal justice system to hold perpetrators of such violence accountable.
She also called for increased survivor support through accessible and safe reporting channels.
She recalled the UN Women and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report as revealing that “one woman or girl dies every 10 minutes due to domestic violence, with Africa recording the highest rates of intimate partner and family-related femicide globally.
“We must address the root causes of violence, such as harmful norms, power imbalance and gender biases, to create a society where women and girls feel safe.”
On the annual Global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from Nov. 25 to Dec. 10, which is Human Rights Day, she urged world leaders and citizens to amplify their voices, using the #NoExcuse and #16Days, calling for investments in prevention, protection and accountability measures.
She added that with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action approaching in 2025, it is time to channel resources into creating a future where no woman or girl lives in fear.
She urged governments, communities and stakeholders to take decisive steps toward equality, justice and elimination of femicide.
