By Esther Onyegbula & Mary Imokhe

Worried by the upswing in cases of sexual abuse and gender based violence, GBV, across the country, a non-governmental organisation, Leadership Initiative for Youth Empowerment, LIFE, has said victims should be provided with round-the-clock access to psychological care and legal rights.

The group, during an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, said it was in an attempt to ensure victims were adequately assisted that it began operating a 24-hour crisis response centre for gender based violence related issues.

While speaking on LIFE’s partnership with African Women Development Fund, AWDF, to implement a 32-month project on GBV response in Lagos, Programmes Officer of LIFE, Ogechi Stephen Jessica, stressed that the organisation operates a 24-hour crisis response centre to help indigent victims resolve sexual violence and reproductive health challenges, like HIV and tuberculosis through capacity building by employing professional psychologists.

Jessica said: “The goal and mission of the NGO is to create a society where all rights exist and to empower youths, girls, and other vulnerable females with human rights, sexual rights, and economic empowerment. Through these interventions, we aim to reduce the incidence of sexual abuse and gender based violence among vulnerable young girls and women through increased access to human and legal rights.

“The project funded by AWDF will provide training for 80 community champions who will return to their communities and conduct knowledge transfer sessions to reach 8000 community members in four months in Oshodi-Isolo LGA. LIFE will also conduct sustained advocacy and engagement activities with the Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police to improve the support provided to survivors seeking justice. LIFE will produce and disseminate 5000 copies of the law.

“Presently we have successfully conducted advocacy visits to key stakeholders in the Ministry of Justice, Local Government Officials, the Nigeria Police in Ijeshatedo police station, Itire police station, Isolo police station.”

Also speaking on LIFE’s achievements, Monitoring and education officer, Mokwe Oluwatoyin Esther, said: “As part of the movement for community intervention to promote equity and development among the youths since 2012, various sensitisation programmes involving the police, community leaders, and market women in Oshodi Isolo and Alimosho environs have been recorded.

“In 2016, with the support of the African Women Development Fund, LIFE collaborated with the community structures for health services in Oshodi Isolo, resulting in a 30 per cent increase in S.T.I. treatments. In 2017, LIFE was funded by ‘Girl Generation’ in order to focus on the elimination of ancient female gender mutilation practices through engagement with 400 community leaders.

“The project covered Oshodi Isolo for 10 months. In 2018, LIFE got funding to develop a pathway for several GBV survivors; however, COVID struck in 2020 and affected most of this project as there were more cases of GBV during COVID.

“In 2021, LIFE got support from AWDF to address the needs of women who were experiencing intersectional violence. A three-year grant was secured from 2023–2025 to that effect. The focus is to champion the rights of the vulnerable community.”