From Godwin Okeh, Abakaliki

National President of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), Most Rev. Benebo Fubara Fubara-Manuel yesterday blamed the increasing rate of attacks, violence against women and girls in the country on unemployment of the Nigerian youths.

President Fubara-Manuel made this known while addressing newsmen at the kick off of the week enlightenment in Ebonyi state on ending violence against women and girls as part of the 3EU-UN spotlight initiative of the Christian Council of Nigeria in collaboration with UNICEF.

The training which took place at Clevero hotel located along Onwe road Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital with the team “The role of Faith-based organization in ending violence against women and girls” had various Church leaders as participants.

“The poverty of many homes exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the inter-tribal and communal clashes in many regions of the country, the menace of kidnapping and mindless brutalization and killings by some herdsmen. All these combine to bring undue sufferings to the masses including women and girls in our country.

“Men and boys also suffer some level of violence, and that has to be taken seriously in its own right. Nevertheless, with the deeply rooted patriarchy of our cultures, albeit in varying degrees, we cannot deny that women and girls have been the chief victims of violence.

“We recognize that violence has taken an aggressive form in many facets of our society in recent times due to the increasing rate of unemployment of many young people,” he said.

He tasked church leaders in Ebonyi state to shun every church event that will bring harmful practice to women and girls instead should discuss way forward on bringing solutions to the menace of gender base violence against women.

“In coming out as the CCN we are convinced that ending violence against women and girls is a possibility. We believe that our Churches have been part of the problem and so, should be part of the solution. We challenge the patriarchal system long embedded into the fabric of the faith confessions of our historic Churches and reject every supposedly “godly” blessing hitherto given to violence against women and girls.

“This example of Jesus stands against every form of marginalization of women and girls today; and this is a strong guide to the Christian Council of Nigeria in its pursuit of social justice and its manifestation of the kingdom of God in the world today.

Most Rev. Benebo, however lambasted government for failing to tackle violence against women and girls.

“We are not convinced that the governments of the nations of our world are sufficiently tackling the challenges with respect to Violence against Women and Girls. Clearly, our country is not winning in this battle. But it should win.

“We have all it takes to have a secure country and to end all forms of violence especially those against women and girls. The political and social systems are not skewed in the favor of women and girls but rather against them. The religious systems worsen their plight even when claiming to be the agents of liberation. We regret all these and set ourselves in the path of change.