Chinyere Abiaziem
As part of measures to combat domestic and sexual violence, the Lagos State Government (LASG), has said it’s ready to introduce compulsory Marital Effective Preparatory Counselling for intending couples in the state.
This was disclosed during a one-day engagement programme of all State Marriage Registrars, organised by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) in conjunction with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Mrs. Kikelomo Sanyaolu represented by the Director Local Government, Mr. Kazeem Amodu whilst commending the agency, expressed the willingness and readiness of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs in proactively addressing domestic violence in the state.
In her opening remarks, the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi noted that at least 60 percent of survivors of domestic violence, who contracted their marriage under the Matrimonial Causes Act, still proceeded with the union, despite seeing the abusive signs of their intending spouse.
Programme facilitators, Executive Director, Mrs. Tinuke Odukoya; Centre for Women’s Health and Information; Mr. Oladele Emmanuel Temilade, Founder, Institute of Marriage Administrators and Counsellors of Nigeria and the Founder of Family Life Engineer, Praise Fowowe, took the participants on emerging issues including gender and sex roles, understanding domestic violence, statutory roles of Marriage registries, family system engineering as well as an introduction into the curriculum of the Lagos State Marital Effectiveness Preparatory Counselling.