Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is gradually becoming a culture in Nigeria considering the figures being churned by relevant authorities; KEHINDE OSASONA notes in this analysis.
The Istanbul Convention
Despite the advent of technology and collective efforts aimed at tackling the menace of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) against women and girls in the country, the scourge has continued to rise.
Sometime last year, Blueprint Weekend gathered that as part of efforts to tackle SGBV, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) adopted and unveiled new mobile technology via mobile application tagged “Unsub Web” to fight the scourge.
The application which was designed in collaboration with NHRC partners, according to NHRC’s executive secretary, Tony Ojukwu, is aimed at coordinating responses for victims of SGBV in Nigeria.
While giving insight on the technology at the launch of the web, Ojukwu noted that rape and SGBV were global problems, saying that it required a coordinated national solution in order to make meaningful progress.
But going by the spike in the incidents, it appears technology has either failed or not working for us. Although before now, some NGOs like Stand To End Rape (STER), the MIRABEL Centre, Hands Off Initiative, Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF) had raised the bar of advocacy against SGBV and have offered prevention mechanisms regarding the menace.
Recall that the Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe, Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence), defines violence against women as falling under four key forms: physical, sexual, psychological and economic.
The convention, this reporter learnt, is the benchmark for international legislation on tackling gender-based violence, frames gender-based violence and violence against women as a gendered act which is ‘a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination against women.’
Acts of gender-based violence under the convention are emphasized as resulting in ‘physical, sexual, psychological or economic harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.’
The perpetrators of these acts included family members, neighbors, landlords, the police and other security forces.
More worrisome is the fact that apart from the increase in gender-based violence created by the pandemic, women and girls especially in urban centres and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps continued to be subject to sexual and physical violence.
Have successive govts done enough?
This reporter also gathered that in 2020 alone, Nigeria recorded more than 60 reported cases of rape between January and June. Among these figures are 23 minors, 25 teens, and six adults. And worried by the spike in rape cases, former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, had in 2015 signed into law the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, 2015, which brought to an end the age-long social and legislative advocacy championed by women’s groups and gender activists.
The Act, aimed at eliminating violence in private and public life among other things, prohibits all forms of violence, including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic harmful traditional practices; discrimination against persons and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.
Apart from providing life imprisonment for rape offenders, the VAPP Act also provides14-year imprisonment for offenders aged 14 and below.
In other cases, an offender gets a minimum of 12 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine. It also provides a minimum of 20 years’ imprisonment without an option of fine for other age groups, groups, or persons who perpetrated the act.
However, the Act only applies to the Federal Capital Territory as a result of the federal structure Nigeria operates. Each of the 35 states will have to pass it as a law before they could implement the provisions of the Act.
However, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Benue, Cross River, Kaduna, and Plateau states have recorded breakthroughs in its domestications.
Tackling scary figures
At the 2021 16-day activism themed; “Orange the World” a Professor of law and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking, Professor Joy Ngozi Ezilo, raised the alarm that no fewer than 30 million women and girls might have fallen victims of GBV in Nigeria.
According to the expert, unless new innovations are brought into laws, it might be difficult to fight the scourge.
She expressed fears that further that the scourge “is now being fuelled by a lot of factors which include drug influence and rising insecurity in the country.
“Sometimes, while some of these things go on, there is low accountability or prosecution, just as little technicalities can make a viable case not to lead to conviction.
“Sad enough, the ratio of the number of such incidents is as much as 30 million of our population if daily reports and research is anything to go by.
“On our part, we are trying to look at what new innovations laws like extant law, ACJA, NAPTIP Act etc have brought to bear in overcoming these challenges,” she said.
Experts, rights activist too
While advocating pro-activeness and development of policies, the Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA) called on institutions and communities to help curb the alarming increase in SGBV.
FIDA country vice-president/national president Nigeria, Rhoda Prevail Tyoden, noted that there were more reported cases of GBV, adding that more people were getting aware of its implications.
She said, “It is a global health and developmental issue that cuts across economic wealth, culture, religion, age, and sexual orientation.
“It is one of the most extreme expressions of unequal gender relations in our society; accordingly it remains a critical factor for the optimum contribution and development of women and girls in our society.”
Speaking on the development at the 7th Network Conference of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in Abuja last year, the United Nations stressed the need to join forces to create awareness and education in eliminating and ending the scourge of GBV from every nook and cranny of Nigeria.
Represented by its UN-Women Country Representative, Comfort Lamptey, the organisation noted that there is urgent need for all stakeholders to join hands together to put an end to the scourge of GBV.
Lamptey, who was visibly worried about the development, disclosed that globally one in three women has been abuse sexually and in Nigeria 28 per cent of women have been abused before the age 49 in one forms of violence. She also said 16 per cent of women and girls have experienced this from spouses and home as in times of crisis the number rises.
“The past two years in Nigeria have experienced progress on the domestication of the VAPP act to law since it was passed in 2015, with a total of 30 states out of 36 in Nigeria, this commendable feat was achieved by the declaration of a state of emergency on GBV by the Nigerian Governors Forum in 2020.
“We need to ensure that the federal and state government ensures that GBV survivors have full access to justice, with reliable prosecution of perpetrators.”
FG’s concerns
Last year, while also proffering the solution, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, assured stakeholders of the government’s commitment to addressing GBV and protecting the victims.
Represented by a director in the Public Prosecution Department, Abdulrahim Shuaibu, the AGF restated the need to train more judges to handle GBV, in addition to protecting evidence and its management.
Malami said, “After the establishment of 31SARCs, there have been free immediate emergency medical treatment, counselling and follow-up support to survivors of rape and social assault, including support for their engagement with the legal system.”
Any hope?
Going forward, experts have advocated that in tackling SGBV, there should be a multifaceted approach which includes advocacy, risk mitigation, preventive measures and responses in emergencies.
For Professor Ezilo advocacy of VAP across the states and proper implementations is key.
Others opined that it requires a commitment from all stakeholders to work against harmful practices that sustain gender inequality. Yet, others advocated that community and traditional rulers must be involved in the process to address some of the patriarchal norms that encourage gender inequality.
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