Source: This Day
As part of measures to curtail domestic violence or harmful attacks against women, Senate President, David Mark, at the weekend expressed the National Assembly's commitment to pass the Violence against Persons (prohibition) Bill into law soon.

The bill seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence and discrimination against women and as well provide maximum protection for women. The bill also spells out punishment for culprits.

Mark's promise came on the heels of pleas for the bill's passage from the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajya Zainab Maina, at weekend in Abuja where she noted that if passed into law, it would address inadequacies in the current laws regulating the criminal justice system and violence.

"We shall give the bill its utmost priority and urgency. We shall do everything possible to stop violence, especially domestic or violence against women in public and private spaces", Mark added.

He advised the minister and other women groups to intensify enlightenment and advocacy campaigns with a view to creating awareness on the rights of women as he blamed violence against women on ignorance.

Earlier, Maina, while urging the Senate president to facilitate the passage of the bill into law in order to ensure the safety of women, listed the growing cases of violence against women to include rape, female genital mutilation, wife battery, sexual harassment, female trafficking, early marriage and widowhood rites .

She also demanded a speedy handling of all cases of violence against women with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice.

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