The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali (OON), has expressed worry over the rising wave of violence against the girl-child and women in the society, calling for strong legislations to curb the menace and protect women and female children from the scourge.

Prof. Ambali stated this last Monday (July 18, 2016) while declaring open a roundtable on "Tackling Violence against the Girl-child and Women" organised to mark the International Criminal Court Day, at the Auditorium Basement. Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Nike Sidiqat Ijaiya, the Vice-Chancellor, who described the theme for the roundtable as "apt, timely and godly", noted that violence on the girl-child and women has great physical and psychological consequences on the present and future lives of the victims.

Prof. Ijaiya said, "As a child, sister, wife, mother and grandmother, the female gender carries the burden of the home and the society on her shoulder until her strength is spent. But why should a father, a friend of the family or a neighbour subject even a three year-old girl to sexual violence? Why have our men become predatory? Is it for money or for power or are they on drugs? You must be really intoxicated before you can rape your own daughter."

In her presentation, Dr. (Mrs.) Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi of the Department of Public Law, University of Lagos, who highlighted the different international and local legislations against gender-based violence of rape and others, said the problem was about implementing the law punishing the act.

In her submissions, Mrs. Eni Ayeni, Programme Coordinator, Community Action against Injustice, Abuja, said that the challenge posed by violence against women and girls is a responsibility that must be collectively tackled in all its ramifications. According to her, "The implication of not addressing issues around violence against women and girls is far more than what we can envisage and without making such efforts now; the future seems gloomy because women and girls play prominent role in the healthy evolution of the future of any human society; she stressed.

In his own remarks, the Convener of the programme, Prof. Abdulwahab Egbewole, explained that the essence of the round-table was "to put a searchlight on International Criminal Justice Day as approved by the world community after the Kampala Conference in 2010, where it was resolved that all over the world, July 17th of every year be focused on issues that affect us as a people; principal among which is the challenge of violence".

Prof. Egbewole said, "This year, we are focusing on violence against the girl-child and the women because, in our view, it represents the most vulnerable group in the world. It is our belief that one-day focus on issues of this nature, as important as it is, as significant as it is, as symbolic as it is, will continuously remind us that it should be 365 days or 366 days in a year with which we must continuously challenge our conscience on the need to run away from all forms of criminality and save the world from this scourge".