By Henry Obetta
As the 16 Days of Activism campaign against Gender-Based Violence began, Inner Wheel District 911, Nigeria on Wednesday urged teenagers to speak up when they experience violence, sexual abuse, or any form of discrimination.The organisation made the call at the opening of its 16 Days of Activism campaign against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from November 25 to December 10, 2025.The event, held at New Era Girls Secondary School, Surulere, hosted 12 schools and over 600 students.Speaking at the event, National Representative and President of Inner Wheel Nigeria, Funmi Ogunsi, said it had become necessary to address rising cases of gender-based violence, especially against women and girls.“Inner Wheel International keyed into this initiative globally because it is a worthy cause. Statistics have shown that all over the world, there is gender discrimination, inequality, and a lot of violence against women. And you have to see the statistics to believe how bad and how dire it is.“The purpose of this advocacy is to bring it to the fore and remind society that something is wrong—and when something is wrong, we must straighten it out,” she said.Ogunsi noted that many perpetrators face little consequence, while victims often battle stigma and fear of speaking up.“We are having a situation where offenders get a slap on the wrist, while those who are victimised are stigmatised and forced into silence because they are ashamed. We can’t continue like that.“We are here for these young girls. They are the ones likely to be sexually molested, intimidated, or bullied by those seeking to take advantage of them.”She urged the government to strengthen sanctions for offenders, stressing that delayed justice discourages victims.“Justice delayed is justice denied. The justice system has to be overhauled. We are thankful to Lagos State, the Office of the Public Defender, and human rights offices, but they are not the judges. Our courts must live up to expectations and send the right message that this is unacceptable in any decent society.”Ogunsi added that Inner Wheel also plans to sensitise families and institutions on raising boys and girls with equal dignity.“We talk to religious organisations, we talk to market women. Are we still training our boys with a sense of entitlement and a superiority complex while training our girls at their expense?“We are not asking for superiority; we are asking for mutual respect and dignity. There should be no violence towards any person, male or female.”Also speaking, Chairman of District 911, Inner Wheel Nigeria, Omolola Fakeye, said the event was designed to help teenagers understand the dangers of violence and empower them to speak up.“What we’ve decided is to engage them from a young age and teach them that violence is evil. When they see it at home, in school, or among their peers, they should know how to say no,” she said.Fakeye added that boys must not be ignored in conversations about abuse, noting that they, too, are victims.She commended the Lagos State Government for policies aimed at curbing gender-based violence and urged citizens to act responsibly.“Lagos State is doing so much. The government is enacting laws to protect women. Now, you cannot say you are unhappy and beat your wife—you will go to jail. And even a woman cannot be bullish; you will be sued.“Everyone now knows their rights and that the law will take its course. It’s time for everyone to watch their behaviour.”
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