Gender-Based Violence (GBV) remains a pressing issue in Nigeria, driven by entrenched patriarchal norms, harmful cultural practices, and systemic inequalities.
Development Diaries reports that despite the enactment of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) and the Child Rights Act, enforcement remains inconsistent across the country.
Ada, a 27-year-old seamstress from Lagos, Nigeria, endured years of verbal and physical abuse from her partner. Her pleas for help were silenced by societal stigma and the fear of losing her children.
One night, after a particularly violent encounter that left her bruised and shaken, Ada mustered the courage to seek help. She reported the incident to the police, only to face indifference and advice to “resolve it at home.”
Ada’s story is one of countless others faced by women across Nigeria today.
Harmful practices such as child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and domestic violence persist, disproportionately affecting women and girls.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in 2019 shows that at least 30 percent of women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence.
Survivors face significant obstacles to justice, including stigma, fear of retaliation, and inadequate legal and psychosocial support. These barriers are further compounded by insufficient funding for shelters, hotlines, and crisis centers, leaving many without safe options to escape abuse.
The situation is even more dire in rural areas, where limited infrastructure and resources make accessing support nearly impossible.
The 2024 Womanity Index report by Invictus Africa shows a troubling prevalence of GBV nationwide, with Lagos, Rivers, and Ekiti states reporting the highest rates of harmful practices against women and girls.
The report identified domestic or intimate partner violence as the most prevalent form of GBV, followed by physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence.
Shockingly, 70 percent of these incidents occur in homes, highlighting the urgent need for effective preventive measures and survivor support systems at both national and state levels.
The Womanity Index data further shows that over 34 percent of survivors seek help from family rather than law enforcement due to mistrust in the system. This highlights the urgent need for reforms that prioritise survivor trust and justice.
Strengthening the implementation and domestication of protective laws, increasing public awareness campaigns to challenge harmful social norms, and providing accessible support services for survivors are essential steps towards addressing the GBV crisis in Nigeria.
State governments must strengthen their legal and institutional frameworks to address GBV comprehensively. For example, Katsina State’s passage of the VAPP and the establishment of a sexual assault referral centre demonstrate how proactive governance can enhance GBV responses.
Other states must follow suit by enacting and implementing laws to address GBV and provide accessible support services.
Development Diaries calls on the National Assembly and state legislatures to allocate adequate funding to support the enforcement of GBV laws, including the establishment of dedicated GBV courts and strengthened legal aid services for survivors.
We also call on the federal and state ministries of women affairs to establish and fund more shelters, sexual assault referral centres, and crisis hotlines nationwide, especially in rural areas.
For local governments, they should create accessible community-based support centres to address the unique challenges faced by survivors in rural and underserved areas.
We urge the Nigeria Police Force and the judiciary to implement mandatory training programmes for law enforcement officers and judicial personnel to improve survivor-centered responses and eliminate harmful biases.
For their part, the Ministry of Justice should develop clear guidelines and protocols for handling GBV cases to ensure timely and fair justice for survivors.
Finally, there is also a need for sustained public awareness campaigns. We therefore call on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to lead nationwide awareness campaigns to challenge patriarchal norms, harmful cultural practices, and GBV stigma.
These campaigns should target families, communities, and schools to foster a culture of zero tolerance for GBV.
Photo source: UNMISS
