The silence of majority of women on issues affecting the society has subjected the country to a terrible fate and affected its development in general.
This is because the silence promotes vices and makes the nation the worse for it.
This position was stated by Comrade Victoria Adegoke, convener of the non-governmental organisation, “Down To Heart: Speak Out”.
The position was stated at a sensitisation workshop to educate Nigerians about the dangerous effect of child abuse and molestation.
Said the convener: “The ability of women being able to speak out goes a long way to bring solution to the societal challenges, ranging from gender based violence, child abuse and molestation, among others. We advocate that women should be good mothers and wives to their husbands, despite many marital challenges. We know that women can talk about their problems and stay happy in their homes.”
The guest speaker at the workshop, Pastor Marcus William, regarded child abuse as any action that put children in harms way.
He stated that children of parents who prioritized their works above their homes had high tendency of getting molested and harassed.
He explained that many victims of child abuse had found it difficult to speak out due to stigmatisation caused by cultural, ethnical, and the religious organizations.
He urged advocates against child abuse to maintain gender balancing because males were most times the major perpetrators of the criminal offence.
In another presentation, Mrs. Chinyere Adeyemo, who is a sex educator, enjoined parents to protect their children through thorough monitoring and enlightenment on sex education as they are growing up.
She added that child sexual abuse was not restricted to a particular location, or setting as it occurred sometimes at religious scenes.
She noted that a girl child must see herself as the Chief Police Officer of her body in which her primary responsibility was to protect it.
Present at the workshop include the Chairperson of the Oyo State chapter of the National Association of Women Journalist, NAWOJ, Mrs. Jadesola Ajibola, students from Urban Day Grammar School, Jericho Ibadan, Comprehensive Secondary School, Okebola, parents and guardians.
