Borno state government says about seven hundred cases of gender based violence have been recorded in the state in the last one year.
Commissioner for Women Affairs Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo stated this at a three-day training on gender equity and sensitive reporting for women journalists in Borno state.
She explained than the state government has secured conviction of more than one hundred cases of gender related violence across the three geopolitical zones.
The Commissioner decried that despite the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition VAPP and Child Protection Laws, the state has continued to record cases of violence against women and children.
Hajiya Zuwaira remarked that her ministry is now collaborating with traditional rulers to raise awareness of the citizenry to reduce cases of gender based violence in Borno.
She called on the National Association of Women Journalists NAWOJ in the state to scale up reportage on cases of rape and violence against women.
“there is the need to give women the opportunity to cover sensitive issues in the newsroom, they should not be relegated to coverage of only women affairs” Zuwaira said.
President NAWOJ Comrade Ladi Bala said the training was organised to equip women journalists on safety issues and how to mainstream gender related issues in their stories.
She called on the participants to step down the knowledge garnered to other women journalists in the state so as to add value to the profession.
Cov/Dauda Iliya