The Commissioner for Women Affairs in Cross River State, Edema Irom, has elaborated on the establishment of the Orange Band, a non-competitive group at Carnival Calabar, aimed at utilising the festival’s global reach to raise awareness about gender-based violence and human rights violations affecting vulnerable women and children in society.
In her remarks during Carnival Calabar, Edema stated, “Those of us working on human rights and combating gender-based violence needed an international platform to amplify our calls for collective action against the inhumane treatment inflicted upon vulnerable children, women, and even men under the pretence of culture and religion. Carnival Calabar provides an excellent opportunity to rally support against these issues to achieve meaningful impact, which is why we are here.”
She further emphasised, “The current administration is firmly committed to addressing gender-based violence and degrading practices aimed at women and children under cultural and religious justifications. The issue of witchcraft branding, which forces innocent children onto the streets while adults are often burned, must be confronted due to the harmful influence of misinformed religious leaders. We are determined to combat these horrific acts in our state.”
“Fortunately, through collaborative initiatives, we have established relevant laws designed to tackle these alarming practices. We are using this platform to garner support for the enforcement of these laws and to affirm our commitment as a government to create a safe environment for every child and law-abiding citizen to pursue their dreams and reach their potential, regardless of their background.”
Human rights attorney James Ibor Esq also noted that the Carnival serves as an essential platform for spreading human rights messages, given the large audience present and millions of viewers watching from around the world.
He praised the strong collaboration among crucial stakeholders, highlighting the necessity of such unity to ensure effective results.
The band members, consisting of key stakeholders and partners, displayed various banners condemning rape, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, harassment, molestation, gender-based violence, and other forms of human rights violations.
It is worth noting that as part of its efforts to safeguard children in the state from abuse, sexual exploitation, and harassment, the Cross River State government has recently established the Cross River Child Rights Implementation Committee.
This committee made up of vital stakeholders in the human rights field, is charged with mobilising support to enhance the implementation of the Child Rights Law 2023 in the state.
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