Towards improving access to safe abortion services, the Ogun State government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, has partnered with Centre For Bridging Gap (CBHG) on the implementation of Safe Termination of Pregnancy (STOP) guidelines and Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAAPP) law in the state.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, in her address at a aseminar organised by CBHG, a non-governmental organization, for stakeholders in Abeokuta, said the Ministry would step up its enlightenment campaign to ensure awareness of STOP guidelines and VAPP law in the state.
Adeleye noted that it was necessary that all relevant stakeholders, including healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies and social support workers, among others, were conversant with the guidelines and laws to enable them develop actionable recommendations for standardising practicable process for its implementation
She asserted that that some abortions could be unavoidable in cases where the physical, mental and psychological health status of victims were affected.
According to her, the Dapo Abiodun-led administration has zero tolerance to any form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and is making concerted efforts towards reducing the menace and supporting the need for a trust fund to take care of victims.
She advocated for a special court to prosecute GBV offenders, child labour and child abuse cases, adding that three additional referrals centres had been established in the three senatorial districts of the state, as well as provision of shelters to house victims and a toll-free line to call in GBV cases.
Speaking on the VAPP law, Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Matters, Mr. Fuyi Osofisan, explained that the law was enacted to protect the fundamental rights of every citizen and reduce the menace of GBV in the state, stressing the need for public enlightenment, to sensitise people on the law that protects them.
The convener of the seminar and the Executive Director of CBHG, Dr. Moriam Jagun, called for linkage between the STOP guidelines and the VAPP law to fast-track actionable steps for the protection of right of individual to access a safe abortion within the legal framework.
Emphasizing that stakeholders need to be updated, Jagun called for increased collaboration and coordination in actualising the guidelines to ensure reduced mortality rate on females who got pregnant out of their own volition.
She appreciated the efforts of the state government at ensuring implementation plans on violence against persons, with several victims benefiting from the VAPP law and the state referral centres.