By Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
For several years, conversations around gender based violence and harmful cultural practices against women have dominated public discourse, but all efforts to end the scourge seem futile thus far.
However, discussions on the issue resurfaced recently at a workshop in Abuja organised by the Centre for Communications and Social Impact (CCSI), in partnership with the European Union Spotlight Initiative, United Nations Populations Fund (UNPF) and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
The event themed, “National Communication Strategy on Ending Gender Based Violence and Harmful Practices Against Women and Girls in Nigeria,” was organised to acquaint journalists with the best reporting strategies for gender-based violence and harmful cultural practices, and setting agenda for the government on the same matter.
The event also sought to bring journalists up to speed on activities leading to Nigeria’s participation in this year’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, which will run from November 25 to December 10, 2021. The theme for this year is “Orange the world: End violence against women now!”.
Speaking at the workshop, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Pauline Talen, listed violence against women and girls, gender inequality, patriarchy and harmful cultural practices as worrisome societal blights that rob women the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the urgent task of nation building.
She noted that the aforementioned challenges, if not tackled headlong, will remain a cog in the wheel of national progress.
The minister insisted that adequate protection and security for women were vital to ensuring national prosperity.
Talen, who was represented by Abia Udeme, a senior official of the ministry, disclosed that 25 states have so far domesticated the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) 2015 and 27 states have also domesticated the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003. She added that sustained efforts were ongoing to ensure that other states did the same.
She said: “The scale of sexual gender-based violence, violence against women and girl child circumcision is alarming. The spike, pattern, trends and the consequences of these forms of
violence impacts negatively on individuals, families, communities, and the country in general. Violence against women and girls, gender inequality, patriarchy and harmful cultural practices significantly inhibits women’s potential to fully contribute their quota and participate in national development.
“I am proud to state that about 25 states have so far domesticated the VAPP Act in the states and 27 states have also domesticated CRA and sustained efforts are ongoing to ensure that other states domesticate the two acts.”
Also speaking at the event, Adenike Ayodele, programme officer, CCSI, stated that the establishment was determined to remain a voice that inspires change by eliminating all forms of violence and harmful practices against women and girls in Nigeria.
She further explained that violence against women and girls remained a fundamental human right violation, adding that the strategy to end it must be timely as the issue has persisted for so long.
She insisted that for victory over GBV and harmful cultural practices against women to be attained, religious leaders and traditional rulers must be carried along. She assured that the organisation was strengthening efforts in involving such people in the advocacy.
“We’re also excited to be a part of the EU-funded spotlight initiative collaboration with the United Nations. This global integration beams the spotlight on matters of violence against women and girls,” she noted.
However, participants unanimously agreed that all GBV be elevated to a state crime to severely punish offenders and serve as deterrent to potential culprits who may escape reprimand when the matter is sentimentally judged through a religious and cultural lens.
However, an assistant chief social welfare officer at the ministry, Victoria Lar, picked holes in the push to make GBV a state violence because, according to her, victims are often reluctant to pursue justice to the end, as their abusers would have sought succour from family members, religious bodies and traditional rulers, thereby guilt-tripping the victims to abandon the case. Lar said, even when the ministry insists on prosecuting a case, the victim often disappears by relocating with the abuser thereby depriving them of evidence for further action on the matter.
She decried the interventions of families of survivors, religious leaders and traditional rulers in matters of GBV, adding that such interferences have continued to serve as stumbling blocks to ending violence against women.
Abia Udeme-Nsikak assured that preventing and responding to cases of violence against women and girls was the cornerstone of the government’s commitment to advancing the fundamental human rights of women. She also expressed hope that the National Communication Strategy would strengthen the government approach to identify, coordinate, integrate and leverage the current efforts and resources to address GBV across the country.
Suen Akioye, a communication strategist with CCSI also assured that efforts were ongoing to incorporate editors and news managers to boast awareness and sensitization about GBV and harmful cultural practices by giving more prominence to such issues in the news.
Chinyere Eyoh of the Sexual Offences Awareness & Response (SOAR) urged survivors of GBV and harmful cultural practices to always speak out and break the silence. According to her, breaking the silence is the first step to getting justice, achieving closure and eliminating the menace from the society as it would encourage more people to break free.
Attendees expressed hopes that if all the aforementioned remedies are carefully implemented, Nigeria will be marching successfully on the road to ending GBV.