The Osun Government has begun training women and children on martial arts as the first line of self-defence against attacks and to curb gender-based violence in the state.
This was revealed in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Women, Children and Social Affairs, Olubukola Olaboopo.
The Commissioner disclosed that the state was doing everything possible to reduce and eradicate violence against women and children, adding that it was part of the reason the martial arts training was organised.
“We are training our women and children on martial arts. We want them to self-defend themselves before help comes,” she said.
She revealed that the outbreak of COVID-19 and ENDSARS Protests affected the training, stating that if not, they would have graduated 300 to 400 trained people.
“COVID-19 and the #EndSARS protests affected the training, if not .. , we would have graduated 300 to 400 trained people.
“However, we are training about 100 people more right now and by January, they would have been perfect for them all to graduate,’’ Mr Olaboopo said.
She said there were laws in the state that protects women against violence, adding that the ministry was working earnestly to ensure that women, children and the vulnerable were always protected and justified when abused.
She added that the ministry was centrally handling rape and violence against women cases, in partnership with the Police and Ministry of Justice so that victims could get justice and offenders do not go unpunished.
“We have a law that prohibits domestic violence and we are, as much as possible, ensuring that our women experience, if not zero level violence, at least to the barest minimum,” she said.
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