FG Mulls Mobile Courts For Cases Of Sexual And Gender-Based Violence

The Federal Government has disclosed that plans are underway to establish mobile courts for cases pertaining to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and other vices in the country.

Naija News reports that the federal government, through its  Ministry of Women’s Affairs, said the move is part of the effort to tackle cases of sexual and gender-based violence.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, in Abuja, during a press briefing, said the establishment of mobile courts would push further the advocacy of sexual and gender-based violence.

Reeling out what her ministry intends to achieve in its first 100 days, the minister said, “If we have a mobile court, it will help as we go for our advocacy against SGBV. We have been advocating, and spending money, to no avail.

“When victims report, police will come in for arrest, we will take the victim straight to the hospital to confirm, and then the mobile courts come in to ensure justice is served.”

She further noted that there was a need to highlight the importance of working with women cooperatives to implement empowerment projects that can be sustained by the recipients beyond the initial government support.

She said, “The narrative has changed in this ministry. We have decided to forge ahead with more sustainable moves that will impact our women and children.

“Sanitary towels being given to girls in some schools from time to time is not sustainable; therefore, we have decided that instead of giving them the sanitary towels, we set up sanitary pad production ventures. Sharing gas cylinders to rural women is also not sustainable; the ministry is concerned about who refills the gas stove for the rural woman after the first refill. We have decided to, instead, give them charcoal burners and biogas stoves, among others.”