The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has organised a sensitisation training for NGOs to mitigate violence against women during the forthcoming general elections in Plateau.
Declaring the one-day programme opened on Tuesday in Jos, Malam Halilu Pai, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state said the exercise was aimed at ensuring violence free elections in February and March.
Represented by Mrs Caroline Okpe, Head, Legal Unit of the Commission in the state, said the training would also avail INEC the opportunity to educate NGOs in ensuring violence free elections in the state.
According to him, the NGOs will in turn sensitise the public on the need to desist from violence during the forthcoming polls in the state.
Pai explained that the commission had put everything in place to conduct free, fair and credible elections, but would need the support of the voters to make it violence free.
“On our part as a commission, we are ready to conduct free, fair and credible elections in Plateau.
“But elections can only be credible if it’s devoid of violence, and it will be violence free if people conduct themselves in a peaceful manner.
“We also understand that women suffer violence most during elections, and this is why we have put this together to ensure that elections are peaceful so that no woman faces violence,” he said.
The REC said the programme would also avail the participants the opportunity to understand the nature of violence women face during elections, either as candidate or voter, and also fashion out ways of mitigating it.
He added that it would enable the participants to understand the women perspective on violence during elections with a view to finding lasting solutions.
Some of the NGOs include Community Action for Popular participation (CAPP), Vince for the Girl Child (VGC) and Justice Development and Peace Commission.
Others include Youth Initiative Against Violence and Human Rights Abuse
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