by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission in Plateau State says it has received about 23 cases from the general public on rights violations.
Chairperson of the Commission, Barrister Olivia Dazyem, while speaking with our correspondent, revealed that, “Some of the cases we received we have mediated upon and settled the issues within the partners involved amicably, while some we have referred to the Office of the Commissioner for Justice.”
She further said, the Gender and Equal Opportunities in Plateau State was passed into law, in 2015, and that since the passage of the law, it has been struggles and outcry by the people – mostly by civil society organizations – working in collaboration with government officials to ensure the establishment of the Commission to Section 3 of that law.
She noted that, “Since the passage of the law, it never saw the light of the day, until in November 15th 2023 when Governor Mutfwang gave the approval for the establishment of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission in the state.
Barr. Dazyem explained that, “Activities kick-started at the Commission in January, and appreciated the governor, because he gives the support to be able to rent an office place and furnished it. At least, it is functioning now to some level.
“The first thing we did was to get staffs to handle the activities of the office, which we carefully selected workers with social welfare background. These staffs went into training to let them understand the issues of gender in the state,” she stated.
According to her, “You know, guidance and counseling is some forms of mediation skill, which has been also sent to the Commission. This training took place around February 2024.”
She added that, “We have also interfaced with Ministers, Departments, Agencies, Police, Civil Society Organizations and the Media to let them know what we are all about, because we need to collaborate, partner with them so that we will be able to achieve the function of our office.
“The forum, as you know, also shares their expectations of the gender equal opportunities; so, we sought for collaboration and obtained their buying into what we are expected to be doing, by virtue of the provision of Section 11 of the gender equal opportunities law,” she noted.
The Chairperson further explained that, the Commission has the responsibility of monitoring to ensure that there is fairness, justice, gender equality in the state.
“The Commission was to ensure that the gender equal opportunities law itself is not law of the state providing for rights of the people of the state alone.
“We also have the responsibility of creating sensitization. So, some of the laws that have provision for the rights of the people are Constitution of the Federal Republic itself,” she said.
She said “The gender equal opportunities law, violence against persons prohibited law, the child rights law in the state and the persons with disabilities rights law 2005 – all now provide for the rights of the people, who are violated upon.
“So, what we have tried to do is online, with the provision the law establishing us to open a mediation center. As a matter of fact, we have about 5 Departments: Administration, Finance, Legal Service, the Media and Investigation.
“Also, we have the public complaints department, we have the mediation center; and the law enjoined us to also open up mediation centers at different Local Government Areas of the state,” she revealed.
The Chairperson further stated that during their advocacy visit to the Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, they secured their collaboration and partnership to enable them to succeed as a Commission – in protecting the fundamental rights of human violation of people of the Plateau State.
She said “One of the issues we grabbed with, particularly in the state, is sexual and gender-based violence. These abuses – sometimes it happens between couples, and some of the abuses are done to children.
“We have sexual molestation, sexual violence, which include rape. Most of these cases are criminal in nature. When we receive them, we do not set to discuss on them because we have zero-tolerance for rights violation, particularly those that have to do with abuses and are criminal in nature,” she stressed.
“We quickly make the necessary reference. Also, our attention is also drawn to any reported case of sexual violation from any community. We have always gone to such communities in the state to get our interest in ensuring that the rights of the victim is also protected and to ensure that the accused person, or the suspect, is brought to answer necessary questions,” she explained.
According to her, “The Commission, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, has created awareness on issues of trafficking in the state, because the state has received negative publicity in relation to exportation of our children, who are taken out of the State to salvage.
“We went round the 17 local government areas and spoke to our people on the need to stop the practice. As I speak to you, there are criminal matters of trafficking in children that we are still following, and some of the investigations we have to go out of the state,” the chairperson stated.
She called on the plateau people to stop the habit of sending their children to salvage, saying, “It is not just OK for the children; it comes up with them with a lot of challenges, which include lost of their lives in the process.”
Barr. Dazyem pleaded with the people to give their children the best opportunities they deserve, so that they will be able to grow up – and bring out – their potentials for the development of the state.
“We will sustain this campaign all against sexual and gender-based violence, and we will sustain calling out on people to stop violation of each other’s rights; and we will also go out and interface with traditional rulers, community leaders, and religious leaders, among others,” she said.