By Davies Iheamnachor
PORT HARCOURT: A women’s group in the Niger Delta region has stated that making issues of gender-based violence public would make offenders stop ill actions against women.

The group, Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre called for a stronger partnership with the media to strengthen the fight against rape and harassment of women in rural communities.

The centre made the call in Port Harcourt during a one-day media training for journalists in Rivers State on Gender Violence Reporting.

Speaking, the Executive Director of Kebetkache, Emem Okon, said policy implementation for gender-based issues in communities has not been effective, pointing out that there is a lack of awareness on how the menace could be handled.

Okon said the essence of the training of four journalists was to mobilise the media to report issues of gender-based violence as to improve and increase understanding of what it is, adding that effective reportage would enable women to know how to approach gender issues.

She said: “There are a lot of reports on sexual violence and rape and that has encouraged a lot of survivors to come out and overcome that stigma to say I was raped or I have been harassed.

“Also, by engaging with the media it’s going to improve the way the authorities respond to these issues, yes, there are existing legislations but what has been the rate of implementation and enforcement of that legislation, especially, at the communities.

“We are expecting increased reporting of gender-based violence and that media people would reach out to more people that are directly involved in gender-based violence and to let them know what to do when they are affected or see somebody suffering such.”

Okon asserted that much is not been done at the local government and communities as to address gender violence, adding that effective seeking legislations and implementation would discourage discrimination and assault against women.

“I don’t think much is done at the local government and community levels to address issues of gender inequality and social inclusion and also to address issues of gender-based violence.

“At the national and state levels, there are legislations but how do we work the enforcement and implementation of this existing legislations particularly at the local level and how is it being translated at that level, the local government is the closest to the people so if the people is the issue.”