Jeff Cuthbert AM, the National Assembly Member for Caerphilly, will be visiting Nigeria for the 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference and has agreed to discuss serious issues of concern to Amnesty International with his parliamentary counterparts.

Jeff will raise the issue of violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights and call for member countries to take urgent action to clamp down on this terrible and all-pervasive crime.

Jeff Cuthbert AM says:

''Violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights is a scar on the face of the world. The continued widespread cases of violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights is a damning indictment on many countries. Strong, comprehensive action is now needed to clamp down on all forms of violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights. This conference is an ideal chance for nations to come together and make progress.

"Nigeria, as the host country, cannot escape the spotlight. Amnesty International estimate that nearly two-thirds of Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights in certain groups in Lagos State in Nigeria are victims of violence in the home. Discriminatory laws and practices, dismissive attitudes within the police, an inaccessible justice system contributed to violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights being widely tolerated. Nigeria, like many other countries must recognise that violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights is all our problem.

"The solution is a twin approach of comprehensive domestic violence legislation combined with a commitment from government's to allocate sufficient resources to enable the police to do their job and to fund education programmes that leave no-one in any doubt that such violence is illegal.

"I am delighted to join with Amnesty International to call for a crack down on violence against Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights.''

Cathy Owens, Programme Director for Amnesty International Wales said:

“Though there is still a lot of work to do here in Wales, our legislators can help others learn from the approach taken in Wales to tackle domestic violence. But the Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights of Nigeria suffer from further forms of unacceptable violence that the government is not cracking down on. Widespread female genital mutilation and impunity against rape and other serious sex crimes are a reality for Nigerian Women's rights's rightss rights's rights's rights's rights.

"Jeff has a great opportunity to raise these issues on behalf of Amnesty International's members in Wales and we look forward to hear what his counterparts in Nigeria have to say."

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