Every year, Nigeria joins the global community to roll out activities to commemorate the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). In this report, ENE OSHABA examines impact of this heightened advocacy in Nigeria.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a campaign championed by Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 which has gained prominence as a strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
The annual international campaign kicks off on November 25 and runs until December 10; this is as Nigeria joined the global community to flag off activities for 2022 with the theme: “Unite! Activism to end Violence Against Women and Girls.”
The Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, speaking during the flag-off activities to mark the 2022 campaign stressed the need for prevention of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), and for perpetrators to be brought to justice, just as victims are given voice as part of the long process of healing.
She highlighted several steps and advocacies by the ministry to curb the menace of SGBV, stating that several survivor-centred essential services across policing, justice, health, and social sectors, and improved financing for women’s rights agenda are on course.
“It is on record that more than ever before, survivors are now speaking out and reporting these violations and seeking for legal and judicial assistance,” she said.
GBV in Nigeria
Reports have it that the incidence of GBV was growing astronomically with the activities of Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east; to forced and early marriage to the physical, mental or sexual assault of a woman; even as one in three Nigerian women is said o have experienced physical violence by age 15.
Statistics by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed that in Nigeria, 30 per cent of girls and women aged between 15 and 49 were reported to have experienced sexual abuse. Insurgency, protracted conflicts, new trends in kidnapping and the recent flood which swept across the country, have also served to worsen the occurrence of GBV.
Harmful practices such as child marriage are prevalent in Nigeria, with 43 per cent of girls married before the age of 18; while 20 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 have undergone FGM.
Some of the most revealing data have showed that 77 per cent of women were mutilated as infants, and 80 per cent of people with disabilities have experienced some kind of abuse.
It revealed further that over 90 per cent of women experiencing violence either do not report their experience to anyone or inform their parents only, while women living with obstetric fistula live with the stigma and consequent rejection, with 25 per cent of women (aged 18-49) married or in union before their 18th birthday.
Emerging GBV cases
In spite of heightened advocacy against GBV it has continued to exist across the nation, with new dimensions of killings, especially of women in politics.
Tallen also worried that despite federal government’s declaration of “State of Emergency” on sexual and gender-based violence, rape has persisted.
According to the minister, it was now at crisis level, with most survivors denied justice and rapists are able to avoid prosecution.
She noted that while hundreds of cases of rape were happening some were unreported due to fear of stigmatisation and victim blaming.
Targeting women in politics
Women have made significant gains in politics in recent years, however, their involvement has spurred attacks, intimidation, backlash, and harassment both online and offline in many parts of the country.
According to a statement by a coalition of Women based Non Governmental Organisations led by the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF) on the gruesome murder of the Labour Party Women Leader, Victoria Chintex, there has been an increase in serious human rights violations. NWTF NWTF described the situation as “a worrisome surge and aggravated wave of discrimination and political violence weaponised against women during election periods.
“INEC has documented over 52 politically motivated attacks in 21 states since the election campaign began on September 28, 2022, making the gruesome murder of the Labour Party women leader, Victoria Chintex on November 28, 2022, Nigeria’s 53rd politically induced violence ahead of the elections.
“Violence Against Women in Politics (VAWP) continues to create additional impediments and in situations such as this, deadly obstacles to women’s active and meaningful participation in leadership and politics,” said the NWTF Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mufuliate Fijabi.
“While we commiserate the death of Mrs Victoria Chinex and pray for the quick recovery of her husband, we call on the Nigerian Police force to as a matter of urgency carry out necessary investigations and bring all perpetrators to book without further delay,” she stressed.
“Today, we come together to denounce the persecution, prosecution, sexism, harassment and all other forms of discrimination and violence against female politicians and their supporters in Nigeria, and emphasize the critical need for stricter security measures to be put in place ahead of the 2023 general election, to prevent and proactively respond to incidents of violence against women before, during, and after the elections.
“We also call on all political parties to live by the principles of the Peace Accord they signed at the commencement of political campaigns,” she added.
Impacts of activism
The minister in her speech noted that 27 states had domesticated the Child Rights Act (CRA), while 30 states had domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015.
She added that 33 States have domesticated the CRA Act, while 34 have domesticated the VAPP Act 2015.
“The idea behind this domestication is to strengthen the justice system and the prosecution of the perpetrators of violence against vulnerable women and children; including the girl-child.
“Our HeforShe strategy and integrating domestication of laws by States as criteria to access our various Women Economic Empowerment and Poverty reduction schemes have proven effective in ensuring a society that thrives on Zero Tolerance to Gender-Based Violence,” she said.
“I have the assurance of other states that before the end of this administration, all the states would have domesticated the CRA and VAPP.
“We are witnessing that the lack of survivor-sensitive approaches in court procedures and delay in all stages of proceedings are gradually changing and more states are setting up Special Courts to speed up the justice system. We are also happy to note the emergence of more Sexual Assault Referral Centres,” the minister added.
Expectations
Amidst progress recorded so far, lots of expectations in bringing the menace to a halt has been advocated by the ministry, development partners and other stakeholders.
“We want to appeal to our development partners to support the acquisition of more forensic machines to make it easy to carry out test of rape cases in the country, as the existing ones can only be accessed in Adamawa and Lagos states. More safe spaces are needed to cater for the need of GBV victims.
“For the 2022 commemoration, we will launch a collection of 16 advocacy briefs, highlighting facts, context and recommendations about violence against women and children. Gender-based violence is not inevitable. It can and must be prevented, if we are committed to it,” the minister added.
Government at all levels have been advised to continue to respond positively to address the unacceptable trends and patterns of GBV through survivor-centred essential services across policing, justice, health, and social sectors, and improved financing for the women’s rights agenda.
Survivors are now speaking out and reporting these violations and seeking for legal and judicial assistance.
The UNFPA stressed the need for government to urgently demonstrate the political will to accelerate actions to end SGBV in the country, in particular, increased commitment to implementing existing policies and frameworks that promote women’s rights.
“There should be improved education outcomes for girls and women, and promote gender equality in education targeting women with disabilities (WWDs) with inclusive, acceptable, and subsidized forms of education from basic to tertiary level Implementation of economic empowerment programs for PWDs, especially WWDs.
“There is an urgent need to address child marriage through a multi-sectoral approach, including other UN Agencies, to ensure adolescents and girls are empowered and educated to complete at least secondary school education and entrepreneurship skills acquisition training,” it stressed.
On their part, the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have demanded that the Presidency declares a national state of emergency on political violence, to send a strong message of zero tolerance against any form of violence, and clearly communicating actions that will be taking against perpetrators.
“A joint task force committee on the safety of women as candidates and electorates, comprised of relevant security agencies should be set up within the next two weeks, with commitment to release a publicly accessible comprehensive prevention and emergency response action plan on all forms of violence against women in the 2023 general elections.
“While we commend the current provisions in the 2022 Electoral Act which condemns violence in elections and states penalties for infractions at 12 months jail term or a maximum term of N500,000, we recommend stricter sanctions with more severe implications as a demotivating factor to discourage the indulgence of political violence.
“An immediate ratification of the Violence Against Person’s Prohibition (VAPP) Act in states where the law has not been domesticated in Nigeria and also call the attention of the states who have domesticated the law, to effectively implement same, as this law covers all forms of violence,” the coalition demanded.
