16 days of activism, Dinidari with support from Action Aid chronicles response to SGBV in Nigeria Through the words of Nkechi Ilochi, Tony Ojukwu, Dorothy Njemanze, Lois Auta, others.
Following the outbreak of COVID- 19 in January 2020, Nigeria has seen the diversion of priorities and resources and resulted in a surge of reports of gender-based violence.
The lockdown initiated by government to curb and combat the spread of the Corona virus came with its blessings and curses.
Some women were forced to spend more time with their violent abusers, who lashed out at them at the slightest opportunity.
While disease outbreaks threaten populations’ health, the aggressive response measures of governments, such as lockdowns, increased women and girls’ vulnerability to violence.
Since various versions of lockdown were put in place across the country on 30 March, reported cases of gender-based violence have substantially risen. This shows a monthly increase of 149% in reports of gender-based violence following the introduction of lockdowns at the end of March.
A study showed more spikes in SGBV in states that had a full lockdown then states with a partial lockdown.
Ndi Kato ED Dinidari Foundation
The Executive Director of Dinidari Foundation, Ndi Kato in a call with MediaOrchid correspondent said Dinidari Foundation chose this route for #16DaysOfActivism after their experience with Human Rights response in COVID19 response in Nigeria.
" We worked with the National Human Rights Commission on Human rights response in COVID19 in Nigeria and that experience showed us how bad SGBV was in Nigeria. Many of the cases we dealt with were gory and women's lives were constantly in danger.
" It is imperative that response to sexual and gender based violence in Nigeria gets as much attention and is prioritized, " she added.
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Some of the Solutions land suggestions made by the first responders, Shelters and Donors are ;
- The need and demand for stronger laws to serve as deterrents.
- The need for a swift justice system quoting the saying " Justice delayed is justice denied. "
- The need for an online Gender-based Violence Center that can be reached via social media platforms.
- Advocacy for stronger online support groups where Gender-based Violence victims would feel free to speak up.
- The demand for leaders (particularly women leaders) to use their good offices and speak up for Gender-based Violence.
- The need for a change in societal and cultural acceptance/tolerance (and in some rare cases,) the celebration of violence against women and the girl child by involving the traditional stools in the reorientation of its people.
Bringing the conversation to a climax, they also placed demands for the ' need to look strongly into religious beliefs that seem to suggest that women cannot talk, make their own contributions and opinions without being judged differently' even as they called on the general public to show support as the world Unites to mark this year's 16days of activism with the theme: Fund,Respond,Prevent,Collect.
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