By: Mnena Iorkegh
Women in Nigeria since time immemorial, struggle with abuses and unabated violation of their rights.
These violations against women and girls transcends social, ethnic, and religious boundaries. From domestic violence, child marriage, and female genital mutilation (FGM) to the horrors of human trafficking and sexual violence in conflict zones and remains one of the most pervasive human rights violations globally.
In some regions in Nigeria some historical, cultural and religious factors, gender stereotypes and prejudice contributes significantly to Gender Based violence, GBV with perpetrators exhibiting Patriarchal and sexist views to legitimise the act, establish dominance and superiority.
The Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey in 2018 found that 9 percent of women aged 15 to 49 had suffered sexual assault at least once in their lifetime and 31% had experienced physical violence.
For a country with a population of over 200 million people a significant percentage being girls and women, the need to address the menace can not be over emphazied.
To this end, government, religious groups, civil society, traditional rulers and other stakeholders continue to play critical role to address the problem of violence against women.
While the federal government is at the center of the fight against GBV, by enacting laws to punish offenders and establishing agencies to protect women and girls, State government are also playing critical role in domesticating these laws.
In Benue state, Central Nigeria, which recorded about 4,000 cases of Gender-Based Violence in the 2023, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding on gender-based violence and sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the state.
The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Health and Human Resources alongside other partners drawn from the Police, NAPTIP, NSCDC, Nigeria Bar Association and the International Federation of Women Lawyers, Benue State chapter.
Before now, in most cases traditional rulers who are custodian of culture have been sweeping these cases under the carpet but with advocacy and public awareness, traditional rulers have joined in protecting survivors of GBV.
In an interview with Voice of Nigeria, Traditional Ruler,Kindred Head Of Wurukum, In Walomayo District, Chief Simon Ugondotor said Women are not second-class citizens, adding that the KIngdom has enacted a VAP law to protect citizens right.
“ What is VAP law? VAP law means Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law. Under that law, a man can rape his wife, and a wife can rape her husband. When one partner says NO, it means NO. Under that VAP law, if the matter has been reported to police or court, there are sections that either you go to prison or fine of 500,000 Naira”.
The Chief Suprintendent of Police, Anne Ameh is the Gender Officer Heading the Gender Unit of Benue State Police Command, she said the duty of the police is to enforce the law and make referral where there is need for psychosocial support to agencies that are responsible to do that.
“Our responsibility is to assist with the welfare of women and children, including men, because when we talk about gender-based violence, it’s not only women that are on the receiving side. We have the database, which in the States, is resided at the Ministry of Women Men Affairs, and we make reports as to that. We also make reports to the gender-based unit headquarters in Abuja. That gender-based violence is an offence, and it’s a criminal offence, and so the perpetrators should stop abusing women and girls”.
In an interaction with a Gender Based Violence Survivor, Esther Asita narrated her ordeal after marrying at the age of 19.
“I got married at the age of 19. I was not forced to marry anyway, but all of a sudden, my husband changed. In fact, I discovered that I was being beaten for no reason. At times I used to feel guilty that maybe I’ve done something wrong or so. But finally I discovered that I have not done anything wrong. At times it would be, who dropped this here? The next thing is beating. In fact, I was beaten that I lost my mind. I walked like a ghost on the road. At times I was locked out of the house. I had to sleep outside my gate till daybreak”
Esther Osita, explained that the State’s Ministry of Women Affairs was instrumental to her freedom.
“I want to thank the ministry of women affairs and its partners for giving me back my life. I am standing here today, is because of the ministry, they brought me out of the bad situation and empowered me”.
Speaking on its roles in supporting women, the Acting Director, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Magdalene Andoo, said the ministry is working to reduce GBV in the state.
“I know eradication will not be as soon as possible, but it will reduce to a bare minimum”.
She explained that the State has established a GBV hub that registers gender-based violence cases.
“This year, from January to November that I collected the data, we recorded 172 cases. Violence is perpetrated to all genders. Statistically, you discover that female gender is on the higher rates.In the hub here, you could see that men too come to report. This is because awareness has been created. When we started this case of gender-based violence, no man was coming out to report. But recently, you could agree with me that men too are coming to report issues of gender-based violence”.
She explained that aside awareness creation the ministry is always engaging youth, women, in skill acquisition to curtail this menace of gender-based violence.
Supporting government’s effort are civil societies who have been on the frontline in their communities and played a key role in raising awareness about the increase in cases, and providing support for victims of sexual assault.
One of such is AP Public Health Initiatives a non Governmental Organization based in Benue State and working with the communities to ensure that health care services are delivered to persons and survivors of gender-based violence.
The Organization’s Gender Focal Person, Lucy Atoji, said: “there is a bad directional relationship between gender and HIV, GBV leads to HIV, and HIV can also lead to gender-based violence”.
“So we work to address all of that to prevent HIV infection. And when there is infection, we also work with communities and the government to ensure that facilities are supported for persons to have access to comprehensive HIV prevention information and services”
She called for a more robust approach to ending gender based Violence in Nigeria.
“Currently, AP is working with the state government, supporting over 260 health facilities to provide anti-retroviral therapy services, ART. We are also working with community-based organizations. For us, we would want more ownership from the government, better support for ownership of the programs that we are currently implementing so that ART service delivery is sustained in all of these locations, even after our donors stop funding us”.
As the fight against gender Based Violence continues and the global community setting aside sixteen days of Activism against women and girls, there is need for all to revitalize their commitments in support the campaingn.
Government especially States government are enjoined to ensure that perpertrators of Gender based Violence are brought to book and survivors are supported to acquire relevant skills and where there is need for psychosocial support to relevant agencies responsible should be empowered to do that.
It is important for everyone in the society to note and always remenber that there is no excuse whatsoever to violate the rights of women and children.
