The Nigerian Senate’s move to repeal the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) is quite disturbing.
Development Diaries reports that the bill, sponsored by Senator Jibrin Isah of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Kogi East, has advanced to the second reading at the Senate.
It is understood that the bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, which is expected to report back within six weeks.
Senator Isah highlighted reasons such as gender bias, drafting issues, inadequate punishment, rape definition, victim compensation, jurisdictional and terminology confusion and outdated references, arguing that repealing the current law will allow for amendments to address its perceived flaws, as it is not comprehensive enough in its present form.
We agree with the take of the Founder, Pan-African Women Empowerment Network, Oluwaseyi Kehinde-Peters, who has noted that while these concerns are valid, the Senate should rather consider key amendments that would strengthen the law instead of repealing the law altogether.
The VAPP Act represents a critical piece of legislation in Nigeria’s efforts to combat gender-based violence (GBV), offering necessary protection to victims and survivors.
Repealing this law would undermine the progress made in safeguarding individuals, particularly women and children, who are most vulnerable to such violence.
The VAPP Act provides comprehensive protection by criminalising a wide range of GBV offences, including rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, and harmful traditional practices, ensuring that victims have legal recourse and support services.
However, the repeal of the law would leave a significant gap in the protection of these individuals, potentially exposing them to increased risks of abuse without the necessary legal safeguards.
Furthermore, the VAPP Act is crucial in holding perpetrators accountable through its regulatory framework, which allows for the effective prosecution of offenders.
By defining clear legal procedures and penalties for various forms of violence, the law serves as a deterrent, helping to reduce the prevalence of GBV in Nigeria.
It is however surprising that the Nigerian Senate is considering a repeal of such vital legislation, and this move contradicts the country’s commitment to Goal Five of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which seeks to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
Without this framework, the ability of law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to effectively address and punish such crimes would be severely weakened, potentially leading to an increase in impunity for perpetrators.
Development Diaries therefore calls for an amendment of the VAPP Act to strengthen its implementation, as repealing the law would send a detrimental message about Nigeria’s commitment to human rights and gender equality.
Photo source: Monitor