By Bimbola Oyesola

The Women in Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (WIP) has declared a war against domestic violence in Nigeria.

The women, who took to the streets and trekked six kilometres to get to the office of the Lagos State Governor’s wife in Alausa, Lagos, lamented that domestic violence is now a common thing in society and lives are being lost daily.

Emphasising the campaign, “No to Domestic Violence,” the national chairperson of WIP, Dr. Faith Uzoroh, said tolerance should be the key in every home.

Uzoroh said when girls grow, they become women and mothers of the world

“When we say, train a woman, we are saying train the world, because without the woman there will be no man, as only the man cannot reproduce himself,” she said.

She stated that women should be treated with dignity and respect as the work load on them was already burdensome and such woman should not be molested verbally, physically, emotionally and other wise.

The national chairperson added that the campaign also seek to speak for the men as most times they bottled a lot and refused to speak.

She cautioned the women not to violate their men as mutual understanding should be the key in every home, urging spouses to treat themselves with mutual respect as this will lead to friendship and violence eliminated.

Related News

She expressed that the Convention 190 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) which says ‘no to domestic violence’ is not just talking about beaten.

According to her, “Domestic violence is when you harassed me in my job space,  as a boss, you touched your subordinate irresponsibly, all these are domestic violence.” 

Zonal chairperson, WIP, Nikki Duru in her contribution advised women to treat their husbands with respect as violence occur most times due to lack of respect between both parties.

She opined that Women in PENGASSAN was only adding its voices to the ongoing universal campaign against domestic violence.

Maintaining the slogan, “No to domestic violence,” Duru noted that domestic violence has increased tremendously in the country and this propelled their peace walk to say no to it and also create awareness regarding it.

Director, Domestic Violence , Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Oluwatoyin Olorunfemi, who represented the Commissioner of Women Affairs, Mrs. Cecilia Dada said that over 70% of women have reported domestic violence by their spouses this year and there have been prosecution and conviction of those who were found guilty.

She stated that the awareness against domestic violence before now was done once in a year, but due to increase in abuses and violence, the Lagos government has increased it to four times in a year.

“Most women stayed in abusive relationship because they don’t know their fate if they decided to leave, this is the reason Lagos State government has created a large scale empowerment program to rescue women who found themselves in this situation,” she said.