SGBV: Study Shows Heightened Scourge among Girls

Despite several interventions, including legal instruments like the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act to curb Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), the menace has continued to increase in the country.

This is according to the findings of a new study titled: ‘Adolescent Girls and SGBV in Nigeria: Policy Issues and Perspectives’.

The research being a PhD thesis conducted among adolescent girls in Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo State capital also identified poor response by health providers to cases of abuse, as being  strengthening culture of silence amongst survivors.

It noted that this has further emboldened perpetrators of abuse across the country.

Speaking during a programme to disseminate study findings, the author  who is a PhD student at University of Basel, Switzerland,Olutoyin Ikuteyijo averred that the stage of adolescence  remained a challenging one for girls, given vulnerability  from their gender and status as young persons.

The World Health Organisation(WHO) recognised violence as a major challenge of adolescent girls, which according to it, girls between ages 15-19 suffer Intimate partner violence most.

The study also blamed increasing incidents on poorly equipped frontliners and delayed justice,while drawing attention to manners of abuse girls suffer, including threat of rituals.

Ikuteyijo said the reality on ground required the government to pay special attention to this age-group considering their naivety and vulnerability.

To overcome the menace, she called for special budget for gender units across government agencies. “The agencies devoted to this cause are not sufficiently equipped, this is why cases mostly don’t end in favour of survivors. Besides, we need government to invest in shelter, other than orphanage homes. The is important so that when a breadwinner is jailed, a survivor’s safety is assured.”

On his part, Deputy V. C, Research, Innovation and Development at Obafemi Awolowo University/ Project Supervisor, Prof. Akanni Akinyemi, wants prevention mechanisms to be strengthened.

He stated that all stakeholders including the community, religious groups and government have a role to play to achieve this.

“The conversation around prevention should be prioritised in  communities. They should be responsive towards prevention which is better than cure. Jailing of perpetrators who may also be breadwinners in affected families has made the issue of SGBV more complex.”