The International Federation of Women Lawyers, FIDA Nigeria, has called on women to rise and speak out against gender-based violence.

The National President of the association, Mrs Amina Agbaje, who made the call on Wednesday at FIDA’s side event of the Nigerian Bar Association’s annual general conference themed, “Repressive Cultural and Religious Norms Against Women and Children: Bold Transition from Rhetorics to Action,” assured women facing gender-based violence that help and respite would come to them once they spoke out.

She said the current norm globally showed that women were making bold transitions and moving from mere rhetoric to action.

Agbaje, who is also FIDA’s Country Vice President, said, “We should not be silent in the face of gender-based violence. We should rise and speak against it. Don’t be silent against domestic violence. Speak against it. Don’t hide it and don’t pretend about it. The cry of someone is not a sign of weakness but strength. Once you speak about it, you will get help and respite.”

The FIDA president urged the government to implement laws that criminalised violence against women and also ratify and domesticate international treaties and conventions prohibiting violence against women.

In her presentation, the Anambra State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof Sylvia Ifemeje, said there were numerous cultural practices impeding women’s rights, including domestic violence in the home where women are seen as second-hand citizens.

“We need traditional rulers to sensitise the people to stop any cultural practices that are against women’s rights. The men should be made to know that all these practices that impede the rights of women, like harmful widowhood practices, should be dropped and they need to pave the way for the emancipation of women.

“We need to reorientate the police so that when a woman goes to them as a victim of domestic violence, they won’t say it is a family issue. Domestic violence is an offence that must be looked into, and we need to educate women, empower them economically so that they will know their rights and when they are violated,” Ifemeje added.