The Ministry of Women’s Affairs is taking steps to introduce mobile courts to streamline the justice process when handling gender-based issues.
The Minister in charge of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye made this announcement in Abuja, revealing that these courts will be established through cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, civil society organizations, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and other pertinent stakeholders.
According to her, “The Mobile Courts will work closely with the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Justice, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, and security agencies to develop innovative strategies for enforcing the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, combating sexual and gender-based violence, and addressing female genital mutilation.”
Mrs Ohanenye also mentioned plans to employ town criers in remote areas for awareness campaigns and to introduce incentives for whistle-blowers to encourage the reporting of such issues.
The Minister pledged to launch new empowerment initiatives within her first 100 days in office, emphasizing their positive impact on vulnerable women.
The goal is to encourage women’s groups to establish registered cooperatives with the Ministry.
This approach will enable the government to provide them with various production machines, ultimately contributing to economic growth and enhancing the livelihoods of women, who will, in turn, play a role in nation-building.