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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Wife of Cross River State governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, has called for an urgent action to protect child mothers, who are girls under 18 raising children, often as survivors of abuse or neglect.
Speaking at the South-South Regional Forum on Alternative Care Guidelines, she condemned cultural attitudes that shame girls, while excusing men responsible, calling it ‘deeply institutionalized GBV.’
The forum, organised by Gender and Development Action (GADA) with support of Ford Foundation, brought together stakeholders to address the plight of abandoned young mothers.
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The founder of GADA, Nkoyo Toyo, drew attention to the cycles of abuse, abandonment, and poverty affecting generations of girls.
Representative of NAPTIP’s Director-General, Tolu Odugbesan, emphasised the need for inter-agency partnerships, funding for shelters, and community-led responses.
She praised South-South states for domesticating the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
