From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Spring of Hope for the Girl Child Initiative, (SHoGDI), a Non Governmental Organisation, in partnership with the Benue NGOs Network (BENGONET) and Lawyers Alert, have called for activation of Sexual Assault Referral Centre, (SARC) in Benue State to strengthen the fight against Sexual Gender Based Violence, (SGBV), in the state.
SHoGDI and it’s partners made this call while briefing newsmen in Makurdi as part of activities to sensitive the general public and relevant stakeholders to step up actions against SGBV as well as commemorate the 2023 16 days activism.
Speaking, Founder of SHoGDI, Mimidoo Uhundu, lamented that survivors of sexual assault and SGBV in Benue state can hardly access justice and vital ancillary services in times of need.
“Often, survivors of SGBV mostly women and girls fail to access justice, Medicare, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) therapy and other forms of required support when in need of such.
“In order to address this challenge, the Sexual and Gender Based Justice Network (SJN) led by Led Lawyers Alert and the Benue NGOs Network (BENGONET) as well as other Gender Based Violence advocates in Benue State, pushed for the establishment of a One-Stop Shop that warehouses all these services for survivors of SGBV at a go.
“After a protracted engagement with the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ministry of Justice and Public Order, other relevant Government Agencies, the Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) was finally established and commissioned in January 2023 with much fanfare and glamour by the former State Governor.”
She noted that apart from the physical structure and few furniture in the building at the Benue State Teaching Hospital, (BSUTH), nothing is on ground to facilitate its functionality; “There are no equipment, no specialists, support staff and other important resources that can activate the centre to fulfil its need for survivors of SGBV as intended.”
She noted that while the delay in the take off of the SARC persists, cases and incidences of GBV in the state have continue to rise in the face of acute shortage of support for the survivors.
She expressed confidence that the activation of SARC in Benue State will ensure effective provision of comprehensive services for survivors of sexual assault, including medical care, counselling, legal support and forensic evidence collection.
She recalled that the National Human Rights Commission through its Benue State office, disclosed that over 98% of all human Rights violations in the State are sexual assaults and other related violations such as battering.
“Even more alarming is the acute inability to access justice. According to LARDDOC C, a Lawyers Alert ICT-based App that analyses Sexual and Reproductive Health violations and access to justice, only 13% of sexual assault or survivors of Gender Based Violence in Benue State, access justice. Put in other words, only 13 out of 100 sexual assault survivor’s access justice while 83 others are left to live with the wounds, scars and emotional devastation.”
“It is also reported that over 80% of sexual assault cases in Benue State are never reported at all.”
Describing the situation as alarming and devastating, the SHoGDI Executive Director appealed that steps be taken to activate the SARC to empower officers to effectively provide the necessary support services to survivors.
They called on stakeholders, particularly the Benue State government, to identify a suitable location and establish a dedicated facility for the SARC that will ensure privacy, accessibility, and security for survivors.
They appealed that the SARC should be adequately staffed with a trained team of specialised professionals, including medical personnel, counsellors, social workers, and legal experts, to provide comprehensive range of support services including medical examinations and treatment for survivors, forensic evidence collection and preservation, counselling and psychological support, legal assistance and guidance among others.
“Confidentiality and Privacy which is best standard of practice for survivors must be observed throughout the process.”
In implementation and funding of the SARC, SHoGDI and it’s partners also urged the state government to provide the centre with funding through allocations scaling up budget line, partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), donor agencies and Relevant Development Partners.
They also called for enactment and amendment of relevant legislations such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition-law (VAPP-L) and policies to support the establishment and functionality of SARCs as well as increased awareness to educate the public, survivors and healthcare providers on the existence and purpose of the SARC among others.
While insisting that the establishment and activation of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Benue State is as important as safe guarding the life of every woman and child, the NGOs implored Governor Hyacinth Alia, Benue State House of Assembly, security agencies, traditional councils, religious heads, CSOs to lend a voice, throw support and ensure “no stone is left unturned” as to seeing that SARCs is a reality for the Benue people.
Spring of Hope for the Girl Child Development Initiative (SHoGDI) is a humanitarian NGO founded as a Youth-Led, Women focused, Non-Profit organisation with the vision to see “A World Where Girls and other marginalised communities are free from all forms of Abuse” by pursuing the mission of “Empowering Girls, women and other marginalised communities towards eradicating all forms of abuse.