The fight against Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria is not a resounding success – yet. Globally, it is estimated that one in three women experience either physical or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.

In Nigeria, over 30% of girls and women aged between 15 and 49 are reported to have experienced sexual abuse, which actually worsened during restrictions. Across all six geo-political zones, there was a general increase in GBV, with NGOs and state institutions reporting sharp increases in cases of intimate partner violence and domestic violence. Some of these incidents of violence have tragically resulted in the death of victims, the rape of children, including incestual rape, and tenant-landlord assault.

The causes of violence against women and girls are multidimensional, and this pervasive imbroglio continues to attract the attention of both government and non-governmental organisations. It significantly limits women’s autonomy, opportunities and predisposes them to poverty. Sexual and physical violence, including early child marriage, are challenges that engender discrimination and limit access to equal opportunities. Unequal distribution of power and resources between men and women is apparent in Nigerian society, including discriminatory laws, unequal access to political and economic power, socially constructed norms of

A previous study by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) on the eradication of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Lagos State showed that as of 2013, 43.9% of women and girls in the state had experienced physical violence, which was higher than the national average of 27.8%. However, experiences of physical violence decreased to 25.7% by 2018, while sexual violence increased to 7%. The study covered the period of 2016-2019 and focused on relevant vital agencies dealing with SGBV. NGOs, human rights organisations, international organisations, and government agencies have filled the gap in addressing gender equality and violence against women in the state.

In July 2021, the Lagos State Government reiterated its efforts to curb Gender-Based Violence (GBV) through sensitising and training community leaders, social workers and other stakeholders. As a result, marriage registrars at the 57 local councils and local council development areas (LCDA), including student union leaders in all the tertiary institutions in the states, were trained to respond to cases of GBV. In addition, the Head, Domestic Violence Unit, Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Lagos State, Olorunfemi Oluwatoyin, noted that prompt responses are given to the daily reports the ministry receives on GV, while the shelter for survivors was on the verge of completion.

In recent years, the government has enacted laws and established institutions which prohibit violence against women and girls, including the Child Rights Law, Protection against Domestic Violence Law, the Office of the Public Defender Law and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team. The constitutional guarantee of non-discrimination also ensures that government actions, laws and policies do not discriminate against women through the perpetuation of SGBV. But the realities appear vastly different from what we currently have, as success in addressing these issues can only be guaranteed when security measures are put in place to protect women.

Nothing else could have made it starker than recently-reported crimes of kidnapping, rape and murder, especially with the death of 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwola. In November 2021, The Lagos State Government disclosed that 10,007 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) had been reported in the state since the commencement of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration. The breakdown of the cases showed that there were 4,150 domestic violence cases, 177 rape cases, 255 attempts to commit rape/sexual assault, 246 sexual assault by penetration/threat cases and 877 others (separation, not taking responsibilities of child(ren), neglect, custody of the child, Non-GBV, etc.). Others include 436 child abuse/physical assault cases, 271 defilement cases, 13 defilement by minor to minor, 454 child labour, abduction neglect/others and 148 sexual harassment/molestation cases.

Analysis of the statistics revealed that 91% of women were abused as against 9% for men, while in addition, 92% of adults in the age range of 18-45 years had the highest cases reported while 57% of children within the age range of 2-9 years experienced or witnessed the highest form of assault. The data also revealed that 73% of domestic violence was reported for adults, which was the highest form of GBV against adults while 69% of emotional abuse was reported for children who witnessed intimate partner violence and other assaults. Depressingly, these were for cases that were actually reported.

It is a reminder that more work has to be done, and more collaborations are encouraged to address the perversity. Many experts have argued that the high rate of violence against women in many African countries can be traced to cultural values and religious practices directly and indirectly. Thousands of young girls usually transition from abuse within their families into another cycle of abuse in families of procreation. Generally, the Nigerian society primarily regards the males as the dominant group and the females as their subordinate. This value fosters a belief in men’s entitlement to the services, obedience, loyalty, and subservience of women.

There is increasing evidence to suggest that marital violence revolves around cultural definitions of appropriate sex roles and partners’ expectations of each other’s roles, particularly those related to wife obedience and domestic services. On many occasions, the failure of the women to satisfy their partners’ expectations of their roles results in incidents of violence against them. In addition, the women’s heavy economic dependence on their husbands, encouraged by the cultural expectation of men being the breadwinners of their families, has continued to aid the perpetuation of violence against women.

Generally speaking, both the Lagos State and local governments should be applauded. Last year, The Lagos State Government launched a 24/7 helpline to rapidly respond to survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). The virtual system provides uninterrupted access to trained service providers by providing 24/7 through a toll-free helpline 08000333333. In December 2021, the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation also revealed that the culprits of gender-based violence would be publicly paraded as measures to curb the societal menace. Last month, the state’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) kicked off an advocacy and sensitisation awareness about Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) across local councils with a town hall meeting in Surulere. Many LCDAs have already held several sensitisation events.

As we round of the International Women’s Month celebration, stakeholders need to realise that there is a lot left to do to address Gender-Based Violence in Lagos and Nigeria. The path to building a free and fair country demands that we pull down the biases that hinder women’s progress and make it more challenging to create a level playing field in whatever decision or choice they make. Gender-Based violence recognises no social or economic boundaries and affects women and girls of all socio-economic backgrounds. The policies in Lagos will go a long way to address violence against women and girls, but it requires the involvement of all well-intentioned citizens, including a community-based, multi-pronged approach and sustained engagement with multiple stakeholders.

The figures show the efforts being made by the State Government through policy, legislation and their implementation while making a case for more targeted efforts to bring the scourge of domestic violence to the lowest possible point.