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By Weng Dung
Gender Based Violence (GBV) is a human right violation that occurs in every culture and social group. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, coercion and deprivations of liberty. This discourse reviews the standards and platforms that seek to eradicate GBV and how they can be made actionable. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 in protecting the dignity of the human person prohibits torture, inhuman and degrading treatment. Indeed, all projections of human rights are founded on the inherent dignity of the human person. According to United Nations Population Fund, one in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence globally. The national statistics as indicated in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys as well as the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey all bear out the fact that GBV is common in the Nigerian society. GBV undermines not only the health, safety, dignity, and human rights of those affected by the act, but also the economic stability and security of Nigeria. Issues of GBV are to be prioritized for the full expression of human rights and economic development.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 mandates States to achieve gender equality by eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. It calls for the elimination of all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation as well as the recognition and value of unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies, and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate. Furthermore, it calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Develeopment and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences. In the development of laws and policies targeting GBV, Nigeria has through its legal instruments criminalized GBV and expressed the rights of women to live free from all forms of violence. The most relevant being the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 which provides a comprehensive framework to prevent, protect and end violence against women and girls.
It is vital to promote and build on the existing legal platforms designed to enhance the rights of women and girls for eradication of GBV. The sustainability of these legal frameworks depends on effective implementation and mechanisms for improvement and periodic reviews. It will be recalled that some international organisations have partnered with the Nigerian government, Non-Governmental Organisations and Faith-Based Organisations to tackle the root causes of GBV. It is recommended that the Nigerian government through different agencies and mechanisms improves the structures offering protection against GBV by taking the strategic actions detailed below. The first is to create more awareness and provide accessible information on different forms of GBV and existing support platforms. This includes television and radio programmes, social media campaigns, distributing leaflets at strategic points and referral centers, making information available in schools and worship centers.
The second is to enhance systems for the prevention of GBV by building the capacities of law enforcement officials on standard operating procedures and redress mechanisms. The capacity of judicial officers should be updated through emerging jurisprudence on GBV and the dignity of the human person. Traini8ng should also be provided to relevant stakeholders such as health care providers, teachers, etc., on how to handle GBV cases. The third is to increase access to comprehensive, well-coordinated and equipped Sexual Assault Referral Centers. Clinical services and shelters should be brought to communities and lower-level health facilities with trained counselors and response teams. It is also imperative to provide livelihood support for survivors. The fourth is to provide adequate budgetary allocations and funding for programmes and activities designed for the implementation of GBV laws and policies. This is in recognition of the fact that laws, plans and policies provide a roadmap for action while funding through the budget provides the resources for their implementation. In requesting for funding, it is not just about an increase and big elephant projects and activities, it is about isolating low hanging fruits, relatively cheap interventions, improving efficiencies of spending and ensuring value for money. The government should also support and partner with relevant NGOs, women’s rights advocates and community based organisations that provide social services in the struggle against GBV.
The fifth is a recognition and taking action on the fact that ending GBV requires a shift in cultural norms and attitudes toward a proper and well nuanced understanding of gender relationships. Social change is to be initiated by scaling up prevention efforts that address unequal gender power relations as a root cause of GBV. The government is to set out participatory activities that examine gender norms and their relationship to power inequities, violence and other harmful behaviors. This process will involve multiple stakeholders across relevant sectors. Programmes designed for changing the social and cultural norms that inspire GBV should be extend to grassroots and the entire educational system. Finally, government should improve on the existing data collection methods. Data on GBV is poorly disseminated and often difficult to access for policy making and advocacy. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs through its GBV Data Situation Room aims to harmonize data by addressing the gaps in quality data to enable appropriate access to timely collation, validation, analysis, dissemination, and to support policy and decision making to end GBV in Nigeria. This calls for adequate resources and support to sources of such data.
