HACEY Calls For More Investment To Curb GBV

Hacey Health Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, has called for adequate and sustained investment to effectively prevent and respond to GBV, support survivors, and promote gender equality and the rights of women.

According to the organisation, this would help to curb the problem of gender based violence (GBV).

This was disclosed at HACEY’s pivotal session at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, aimed at addressing the critical issue of financing for preventing and responding to gender-based violence (GBV).

Commenting at the session, the Executive Director, HACEY Health Initiative, Rhoda Robinson, said ending GNV was essential to achieving educational and health outcomes for women.

According to her, “Objective of this event is to highlight the importance of increasing financing for preventing and responding to GBV as a critical component of accelerating the achievement of gender equality.

“The session aims to facilitate discussions among stakeholders on strategies to mobilize resources, advocate for increased investment, and strengthen financial mechanisms for GBV prevention and response initiatives.”

Delivering a keynote speech at the hybrid event, the Founder and Executive Director of The Equality Institute, Dr. Emma Fulu, said one in every three women has experienced gender based violence hence governments must make funding of issues around it a national priority.

She noted that investment in GBV was little compared to the problems around it.

According to her, “Aside from criminalising GBV, innovative financing must be provided to address issues through evidence-based well research strategies. Funding for GBV has fallen by 13 percent between 2018 to 2019 and 2020 to 2021. The world needs more funding to curb GBV.”

“The world needs to provide adequate and sustained investment to effectively prevent and respond to GBV, support survivors, and promote gender equality and the rights of women.”

For the Executive Secretary, Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, acknowledged making GBV initiatives a community driven projects.

“There is a need for GBV project to be a community driven initiative to ensure that the community takes ownership when funding is no longer available,” she said.