The Uptake Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

Sanya Onayoade

The just concluded Child Protection Week, in commemoration of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Month, was an eye-opener to a scourge that has bedeviled Nigeria for a long time. SGBV had thrived because of its entrenched culture of silence induced by  numerous factors such as fear of further abuse, family dignity, societal ostracisation, shame and weak prosecutorial adjudication.

This culture has been the bane of taking justice to offenders and bringing justice to victims. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is a national menace. But only Lagos State is known to have taken  the bull by the horns with a slew of legislation, deterrent policies, rehabilitation and counseling.

At the Governor’s Commendation and Award Night which drew the curtains on the SGBV month on September 30, the Lagos First Lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said over 25,000 cases of domestic and sexual violence have been addressed by the State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Agency (DSVA). This is a laudable feat in the agency’s 10 years of existence. The theme of the campaign, “SGBV, not on my watch” is instructive, calling to action everyone connected to humanity.

“The fight against SGBV requires the participation of everyone: religious leaders, community leaders, families and individuals alike,” Mrs. Sanwo-Olu said. “It is not just the responsibility of the government and the agency alone; it is a collective endeavour. Together we must continue to strengthen our legal frameworks, expand our support systems and most importantly, break the culture of silence that allows abuse to persist.”

It was a Clarion Call echoed by several stakeholders. The state Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said his administration had convicted 50 persons for sexual and gender-based violence in the past year. “In the past one year, the state has secured over 50 convictions. We have provided holistic services to over 6000 survivors and reached out to over a million Lagosians through advocacy and sensitisation.”

The Executive Secretary of the DSVA, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said “we are gradually breaking the culture of silence, and calling on people to speak up and speak out. So, please pay attention to the people that are speaking up.”

The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Mr. Adegoke Fayoade, said the Force was taking “giant steps to make sure that those violators, abusers of women and girls, are dealt with within the ambit of the law.” Another advocate, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Ayodele Atsetunwa, said stakeholders need sustainable measures to tackle the menace in the society.

There is no doubt that eradicating SGBV truly needs sustained collaboration at different levels of the society. In raising the much-needed awareness and enlightenment, the SGBV Month campaign started with the most vulnerable in the society: children and teenagers; beginning with activities at the Eko Boys High School, Mushin and a couple of other schools, Advocacy Walk, Child Protection and Safeguarding Week, and a symposium which assessed the impact of the state’s SGBV response over the past decade.

Head of Programmes for the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme, (RoLAC), Mr. Danladi Plang acknowledged the vital role played by Lagos State government in combating SGBV and rehabilitating victims with enactment of relevant laws. He said more would be done in identified areas. 

“Some achievements have been made and what we need to do is build on those achievements, identify why cases are slow and deal with them; identify why convictions are low and deal with them,” he said.

“A central focus of the event was the empowerment of school children through educational resources aimed at raising awareness about the prevalence of SGBV,” according to Lagos State Project Coordinator for RoLAC, Mrs. Ajibola Ijimakinwa. “These materials will serve as a constant reminder of the importance of standing up against abuse and will be prominently displayed in school premises. The capacity-building initiative, which aims to strengthen children’s understanding of their rights, also trained them on how to report cases of SGBV to the appropriate authorities.”

RoLAC is a European Union-funded program implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), and they are the force behind the SGBV awareness campaign in Lagos.

According to a 2019 survey by the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics, 30% of Nigerian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence, while a shocking 68% have encountered emotional, economic, or sexual abuse. That data shows large number of the vulnerable people, especially women and children are consigned to a life of trauma.

Domestic violence is a pervasive global pandemic for which majority of victims are believed to be women and children. The United Nations defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.” In like manner, intimate partner violence refers to behaviour by an intimate partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual or psychological harm, including physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse and controlling behaviours. It further states that sexual violence is “any sexual act, attempt to obtain a sexual act, or other act directed against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person regardless of their relationship to the victim, in any setting. It includes rape, defined as the physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration of the vulva or anus with a penis, other body part or object, attempted rape, unwanted sexual touching and other non-contact forms.”

A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) showed that about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. The estimates range from 20% in the Western Pacific, 22% in high-income countries and Europe and 25% in the regions of the Americas to 33% in the African region, 31% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and 33% in the South-East Asia region. Globally as many as 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners. In addition to intimate partner violence, globally 6% of women report having been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner. 

In 2020, the year of the Corona Virus pandemic, the prevalence of physical, sexual or emotional violence by a partner was reported to be at 69%. The Lockdowns during the pandemic and the social and economic impacts increased the exposure of women to abusive partners, while limiting their access to remedial services.

It needs to be emphasised, however, that women are not the only victims of spousal abuse as government agencies, including the police, have many reports in this light. The damage done to the fabric of the society is unimaginable and that is why the clarion call for this SGBV month, “SGBV, not under my watch” is important, with the need for all and sundry to dismantle the damaging culture of silence. The consequences of SGBV are legion.

Violence can negatively affect women’s physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health, and may increase the risk of acquiring HIV in some settings. Exposure to traumatic events can lead to stress, fear and isolation, which may lead to depression and suicidal thoughts or behavior and substance abuse. Adults who experienced abuse as a child may be at risk for bullying or have externalized behaviors such as physical and verbal aggression towards others. They may also struggle with impulse control, and their decision-making may engage in risky behaviors such as substance use or sexualized behaviors. Emotional abuse is linked to thinning of certain areas of the brain that help people manage emotions and be self-aware – especially the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe.

A 2013 WHO study found that women who had been physically or sexually abused were 1.5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection and, in some regions, HIV, compared to women who had not experienced partner violence. They are also twice as likely to have an abortion; increases the likelihood of miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term delivery and low birth weight babies.

Stemming the tide of SGBV is a collective responsibility, considering the huge damage it poses to families, the society and the nation at large. This was the spirit behind the theme for this year, “SGBV, Not Under My Watch.”

The Executive Secretary of the Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency emphasized the critical importance of collective efforts in the fight against SGBV. She highlighted the agency’s work over the past decade, stressing that while significant progress had been made, there was still more to be done.

She said: “Domestic and sexual violence are insidious crimes that violate the fundamental rights of individuals and have far-reaching consequences for their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. These acts of violence often occur behind closed doors, making it difficult for victims to seek help or justice. Lagos State, as a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, faces unique challenges in addressing domestic and sexual violence. Our growing population and rapid urbanization have created pressures that can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. However, we are also a city with a strong tradition of community engagement and a commitment to social justice.”

The agency provides legal, medical, emergency assistance, counselling, psychological and psycho-social support to survivors; as well as maintains a Sex Offenders Register. Its 7-point strategy is enshrined in the acronym RESPECT: Relationship skills strengthening; Empowerment of women; Services ensured; Poverty reduced; Enabling environments (schools, work places, public spaces) created; Child and adolescent abuse prevented; and Transformed attitudes, beliefs and norms.

DSVA’s partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC) and The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance was a great strength to the fight against this pandemic. And with the EU funding, SGBV Month raised the bar in combating the scourge and breaking down the culture of silence.

•Onayoade is the Media Consultant to RoLAC IDEA.