In what stakeholders described as a decisive turning point in the fight against sexual and gender-based abuses, Enugu State has launched its Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Taskforce.
The initiative is being implemented by the Economic and Social Empowerment of Rural Communities (ESERC) in partnership with the Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Development and funded by the French Embassy Fund for Civil Society (FEF-OSC).
The launch held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, brought together government officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society groups and security agencies.
Inaugurating the taskforce, the Enugu State Commissioner for Children, Gender and Social Development and Chair of the Taskforce, Mrs Ngozi Eni, said the state had made a bold statement that “gender-based violence has no home in Enugu State.”
She described the Taskforce as a functional mechanism with clear mandates on prevention, protection, accountability and multi-sectoral coordination.
“This is not a symbolic body. It is a force for action. Today, we begin a new era where every survivor is heard, every perpetrator faces justice and institutions respond with one voice,” she said.
Eni commended Governor Peter Mbah for prioritising GBV response and creating an enabling environment for inclusive governance, acknowledging the support of the French Embassy and ESERC towards a survivor-centred framework that would strengthen shelters, legal aid, psychosocial support and safer reporting channels.
The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, said the MoU signed by all partners demonstrated the state’s readiness to prevent GBV.
“The pain of experiencing GBV is unimaginable. For this reason, I call on us all to act responsibly, especially in moments of anger or under the influence of drugs,” he warned.
In his remark, the member representing Oji River at the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Osita Eze, expressed serious concern over rising cases of GBV and vowed to ensure that offenders are prosecuted according to the law.
Hon. Eze condemned recent incidents such as underage marriage and the killing of a 19-year-old girl by her uncle, assuring the public that the perpetrators would not escape justice.
He emphasized the government’s commitment to passing and enforcing a comprehensive GBV law in the state.
“The recent incident of underage marriage was widely condemned by the state government and every right-thinking individual. As for the killing of the 19-year-old girl by her uncle, it is a grave matter and the offender will not go scot-free. The law must take its course,” he said.
Religious and traditional leaders highlighted the centrality of community gatekeepers in eliminating GBV.
Bishop of Nike Anglican Diocese, Rev Dr Christian Onyeka Onyia, described the involvement of the church and traditional institutions as “the most sensible step,” insisting that GBV prevention would fail without them.
On his part, the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Samuel Asadu, pledged the commitment of traditional rulers and called for constitutional recognition of their roles to enable them serve their communities more effectively.
For the Executive Director of ESERC, Rev’d Ikechukwu Nwaogu, the project, supported by the French Embassy, had already transformed GBV reporting systems in Ebonyi State and would replicate similar success in Enugu.
Nwaogu highlighted the project’s three pillars: community engagement, multi-sectoral coordination and economic empowerment for survivors.
He announced the training of Community Advocacy Groups in Enugu East and Nkanu East, the activation of the GBV Taskforce with relevant MDAs and security agencies, and the rollout of seed grants to help survivors rebuild their lives.
He stressed that impunity would no longer be tolerated, noting that Taskforce hotline numbers had been distributed across schools, markets, churches and community centres.
