Governor Dapo Abiodun shared this commitment from his office at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, during a meeting with his wife and other women. The women were part of a roadshow organized as one of the activities for the 16 Days' Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in the state.
Governor Abiodun acknowledged the alarming prevalence of gender violence affecting both males and females in the country.
He pledged that the state government would establish a suitable facility to serve as a shelter for individuals who have experienced sexual harassment or other forms of molestation in the state. This shelter, he emphasized, would provide a refuge for victims, sparing them from the associated stigma.
Moreover, Governor Abiodun revealed the government's intention to establish a Gender-Based Violence Trust Fund to secure financial resources dedicated to the welfare and support of victims.
"He added that the government would also work towards instituting Gender-Based Violence Trust Fund to finance the welfare of victims."
“You want us to ensure that we have a befitting shelter, and you made a case for that, and you emphasised the fact that people abused in the house or at home cannot go back home. There are those who do not have anywhere else to go back to. There is a lot of stigma associated with those who are abused.
“I believe that we have identified somewhere previously, but I am told that it may not be befitting.
“By this, I am now instructing the Secretary to the State Government to work with the Ministry of Housing to identify either a building; if they can’t find one, we identify a parcel of land and we will construct a befitting building to serve as the needed shelter for those persons who have been subjected to all kinds of sexual harassment,” the governor said.
