By Lukman Olabiyi and Bianca Iboma-Emefu
In a renewed effort to combat violence against women, girls, and vulnerable groups in Nigeria, the Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), in partnership with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Programme (RoLAC II), recently organized a two-day workshop for members of select Lagos communities.
The workshop aimed to educate participants on precautionary measures to prevent violence and promote gender equality.
The training, held in the Igando area of Lagos, focused on raising awareness about various forms of violence, including Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), physical attacks, psychological abuse and the denial of basic rights.
It also aimed to empower participants to become change agents in their communities by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to educate others, collaborate with government agencies, and partner with NGOs in tackling gender-based violence.
The workshop drew both women and men from Mushin, Ojo, and Badagry local government areas.
During the event, WRAHP’s executive director, Mrs. Bose Ironsi, shared alarming statistics on violence against women in Lagos, noting that over 24,000 cases have been reported.
She pointed to Nigeria’s entrenched patriarchal structures, which often perpetuate gender inequality and contribute to the victimization of women and girls.
“Nigeria remains a patriarchal society with men exercising authority over females in different spheres of life such as politics, economic, and even sexuality. This gender inequality has continued to place women and girls in a disadvantaged position of subordination and is a major driving force in the high incidence of sexual and gender-based violence experienced by women and girls in Nigeria.
“Over the years, women and girls have continued to be at the receiving end for gender-based violence in Nigeria. According to the 2018 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), 33% of women age 15-49 in Nigeria have experienced physical or sexual violence; 24% have experienced only physical violence, 2% have experienced only sexual violence, while 7% have experienced both physical and sexual violence,” she said.
To counter these issues, WRAHP is leading the project “Scaling up Access to Justice-Related Social Services for Women and Girls Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Lagos and Edo States’.
This initiative is being supported by RoLAC 11, the project aims to improve survivors’ access to justice and psychosocial support, while strengthening community response systems, create safer environments for women and girls and ensure timely justice for victims of violence.
Ironsi stressed the importance of acknowledging the presence of violence in communities and establishing structures to combat it. She noted that people need to be educated about both the laws surrounding violence and the processes for reporting incidents. She stressed the importance of community engagement by urging participants to actively intervene in preventing domestic violence and report perpetrators.
“People often feel they can get away with violence because of cultural beliefs and social norms.
“The way boys and girls are socialized differently, with boys often taught to assert dominance and girls to remain passive, contributes to the persistence of violence in our society, Ironsi remarked.
The workshop also addressed the issue of cultural silence, where reporting violence is discouraged, especially when the perpetrator is a family member. “We must change this mindset. Reporting abuse is a vital step toward justice,” Ironsi added.
One of the facilitators, Oluwaseun Bello, a social worker at Alimosho General Hospital, emphasized the need for a supportive environment for survivors of violence.
She explained that due to the trauma experienced, victims should be taken to separate environments to aid their recovery.
Bello also highlighted the challenges survivors face when families pressure them to forgive offenders or accept bribes to drop the case.
Bello advocated for the establishment of specialized courts for handling gender-based violence cases to expedite justice and reduce the backlog of cases.
She also urged women and girls to recognise the forms of violence they may experience and take an active role in reporting such violations.
WRAHP’s project manager, Segun Babalola, encouraged the trainees to carry out their responsibilities diligently in their communities, stressing the importance of community collaboration in the fight to end violence against women and girls.
He also invited the media to partner with the organization in amplifying efforts to raise public awareness and support survivors.
“This workshop is part of a broader advocacy campaign aimed at fostering partnerships within communities to address the growing incidence of violence against women and girls”, he said.
The training sessions are a step toward empowering local structures to take meaningful action and bring about lasting change in their communities.