The Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Plateau State, Veronica Abe, said Thursday that the commission and its partners have recorded 664 cases of gender-based violence in the state from January 2020 till date.
Speaking in Jos during a solidarity march to sensitise people on gender-based violence, she said 183 were domestic violence cases, while 133 were rape cases.
Others, she said, were 38 disinheritance cases, 14 harmful widow practices, while child neglect/ abandonment, forceful marriages, trafficking, among others, have 195 recorded cases.
According to her, many gender-based violence were not reported because of fear of stigmatisation, reprisal and lack of confidence in the justice system, as well as ignorance of the law.
The deputy director also pointed out that injuries observed from the victims of gender-based violence include depression, low self-esteem, total withdrawal from public, absent mindedness and anger. Others are anxiety, feeling of irritation and suicidal tendencies.
She said women who did not know that their rights were continually being violated and did not know what to do or where to go whenever their rights have been violated.
She called on members of the public to respect the rights of women.
