Mrs Helen Mutfwang, the wife of Plateau governor has called for an end to sexual violence in conflicts.
Mutfwang said this during the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence
By Zainab Oyekan
Mrs Helen Mutfwang, the wife of Plateau governor has called for an end to sexual violence in conflicts.
Mutfwang said this during the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict in Jos on Thursday
According to her, the day should be seen as a solemn reminder of our shared duty to confront one of humanity’s gravest crime; a crime that shatters lives, stains our collective conscience, and demands urgent action.
The governor’s wife said that conflict -related sexual violence was not just rape but a weapon of war.
“It includes sexual slavery, forced pregnancies, trafficking, and other brutal acts inflicted on women, men, and children.
“These atrocities leave deep scars, not only on survivors but on entire communities, perpetuating cycles of pain and injustice,” she said.
She said the UN designated this day to amplify global awareness, to stand with survivors, and to ignite hope.
“It is a day to declare with one voice Enough! No more silence. No more impunity. We must end sexual violence in conflict, now and for future generations, “ she said.
She added that this year’s theme: ”Breaking the Cycle, Healing the Scars”, revealed a painful truth of the trauma of sexual violence across generations.
She said survivors endured not just physical wounds but psychological trauma, stigma, poverty because families were torn apart and communities left fractured.
Mutfwang said the state had taken steps to establish a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), a sanctuary where survivors would receive medical care, counseling, and legal aid to the victims.
“The center will be a lifeline to restore dignity and hope to the heart broken,” she said.
She said the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were at risk because they were forced from their homes to face heightened threats of abuse.
“We are working tirelessly to transform IDP camps into true safe havens, providing shelter, healthcare, education, and economic opportunities to rebuild lives with security and purpose,” she said.
She said that the state would stand by the victims and would ensure their voices were heard, their pain acknowledged, and justice served as perpetrators would face the full weight of the law.
She called on governments, civil society, and traditional leaders to act now to dismantle the intergenerational chains of trauma,strengthen laws, fund survivor support programmes, and hold perpetrators accountable.
“Let us unite communities, faith groups, youths to break this cycle of violence.
“Let us replace silence with solidarity, shame with justice, and despair with healing and together , we can build a Plateau, where no one lives in fear of such brutality,” she added.
Speaking also during the event, the Plateau Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Caroline Dafur , said this was the first time the state was commemorating the International Day of Sexual Violence in Conflict with the rest of the world.
Dafur thanked the state government for supporting women in the state. (NAN)