***CODE is seeking more government commitment to eliminate the threat
The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christoff, on Wednesday, said Nigeria is facing a crisis of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) that has been normalized in the country.
Christoff stated this in Abuja during the presentation of the key findings of the second phase of the Galvanizing Mass Action Against Gender Based-Violence in Kano state (GMAA-K) project conducted by the Civil Society Organisation, Connected Development (CODE).
The event was also held to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWF) this year.
According to the envoy, IWF is a reminder that all women, of all ages and walks of life, have a place in every aspect of society, including economic, social and democratic.
She said: “Today, we celebrate the achievements of all women and girls who are building a fairer, stronger and more inclusive future.
“But we also cannot forget that there is more to do. In Nigeria, this is very important. We all know, Nigeria is facing a SGBV crisis.
“At home, at school, on the street, at work, on the internet, in and between conflict zones and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, SGBV is normalized and most often goes unpunished, sometimes blaming survivors.
Christoff said that although men and boys are also among survivors, certain groups, such as women with disabilities, are at greater risk of experiencing gender-based violence, adding that the scale of this problem is extraordinary.
“At the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives, we have been working with CODE for more than two years to galvanize action against Kano state based on gender. This includes efforts to strengthen gender advocates and work with the media to support systematic sensitization on GBV with the public while doing advocacy on the Act- Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
Speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, recalled that Nigeria ranks 123 out of 146 countries in the World Gender Gap Gender Equality Index of 2022.
He said that SGBV is widespread in Nigeria, with 30 percent of women aged 15-49 reporting sexual experiences, adding that 43 percent of girls are married before the age of 18, and 17 percent are married before the age of 15. .
He said for the GMAA-K project, KODE trained over 30 Gender Advocates who were further trained community members and community leaders in 3 communities in Kano state.
“The Gender Advocates are drafting an Action Plan that will help in the implementation of the Prohibition of Child Protection and Violence Against Persons (VAPP) Bill in the country.
“The action plan got input from various Kano state and non-state actors. From December 1, 2022, the State Assembly held a public hearing on the Child Protection Bill but the house failed to implement the bill as a commitment to all stakeholders.
He expressed concern that this kind of policy which should protect the women and children of the society is being given a back seat in our society, in Kano state.
In his recommendation, Lawal called on the Kano government to focus specifically on the amendment of the VAPP / Penal Code and the CP bill in the Kano State House of Assembly.
As the current assembly departs in May 2023, Lawal said future projects should concentrate on securing high-level commitment from the new Kano state governor and the incoming first lady, including using them to resuscitate the VAPP (in line with the Criminal Code) and the CPB Process in the state assembly.
“Finally, the bill must be passed by the Assembly and signed into law. Both laws are essential for a holistic intervention to tackle GBV in Kano state. No major progress can be made in this fight if there is no law that prohibits violence against people , women and girls; and promote gender equality, access to justice and socio-economic empowerment of victims/survivors, and register sex offenders.
“The state government must adopt and implement the GMAA-K CODE Action Plan to stop GBV in Kano state, through policies and legal frameworks and allocate a certain amount of budgetary funds for the line of activities of the line ministries”, he added.