Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, the wife of the Kebbi Governor, has advocated aggressive enlightenment that will encourage rape survivors to speak out.
She made the call during an interactive session with Journalists in Birnin Kebbi on Friday, adding that when enlightened, the public would see the reason why rapists must be exposed.
She also stressed the need for increased awareness of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), especially domestic violence that sometimes leads to the beating of women or degrading insults against them.
According to her, rape survivors and their families need to be encouraged and supported to expose rapists with a view to curtailing or eradicating the menace.
Shinkafi-Bagudu, however, thanked her husband, Gov. Atiku Bagudu, the state legislative arm, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, journalists and other stakeholders for the role played toward ensuring that the Child Rights Act 2003 and Gender Based Violence Act became a reality in Kebbi State.
The governor’s wife also promised to sustain the fight against the menace of cancer even after exiting office in May.
Shinkafi-Bagudu, who is also the Chairperson of the Medicaid Cancer Foundation said “there is a need to do more to tame the cancer menace.
“There is also an imbalance in the required interventions and adequate funding. Cancer should be seen as an emergency.
I will sustain my ongoing grassroots mobilisation to create the needed awareness in the above direction.”
The governor’s wife further said that immediate action was required by the government and stakeholders to stem the tide of the disease, saying “a stitch in time, they say saves nine.”
She promised to work with the government, Civil Society organisations and stakeholders to increase funding for the cancer fight, apart from scaling up preventive measures.
