A non-governmental organization, Women Initiative for Leadership Strategy and Innovation in Africa (Women Africa) has released a report on the state of gender-based violence response in Nigeria.
The report which is developed with support from the European Union and United Nations Spotlight Initiative Programme through UNESCO is a mapping of critical response mechanisms across the 36 states and FCT in Nigeria.
It provides comprehensive information on the current state of gender-based violence response in Nigeria with regards to available laws and policies, support system and structures, law enforcement, justice institutions, reporting channels and available coordination mechanisms.
The Executive Director, Chinwe Onyeukwu who made this known in Abuja, said “following the rise in fatal cases of sexual and domestic violence against women and girls recorded in Nigeria across the country during the four-month Covid-19 lockdown,
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, and the State Governors, under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), declared a State of Emergency on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in June 2020.
“It also made commitments towards putting in place gender-based protection laws – including adopting the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) and the Child Rights Act into state laws by states that have not done so to increase protection for women and children, ensuring speedy investigation and prosecution of perpetrators, and creating sex offenders register in each state to name and shame violators.
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