International Women’s Day: Nigeria Facing Serious SGBV Crisis – Canadian Envoy
As the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD) held yesterday, Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christoff, has said Nigeria is facing an institutionalised Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) crisis.
He spoke yesterday in Abuja during presentation of key findings of the second phase of the Galvanising Mass Action Against Gender Based-Violence in Kano State (GMAA-K) project, implemented by a civil society organisation, Connected Development (CODE).
According to the envoy, IWD is a reminder that women, from all ages and walks of life, have a place in every aspect of society, including economic, social and democratic spheres.
He observed that certain groups, such as women with disabilities, are at even greater risk to experience gender-based violence.
In his remarks, Chief Executive Officer of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, recalled that Nigeria ranked 123 out of 146 countries on Global Gender Gap Index of 2022.
He said SGBV was widespread in the country, with 30 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 reporting experiences of sexual abuse, adding that 43 per cent of girls are married off before age 18, and 17 per cent married off before they turn 15.
He said for the GMAA-K project, CODE trained over 30 gender advocates, who later tutored community members and leaders within three settlements in Kano.
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In his recommendations, Lawal called on the state government to focus exclusively on the VAPP/penal code amendment and CP bills at the Kano House of Assembly.
In the same vein, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), yesterday, pledged to work with relevant stakeholders for formulation of innovative policies and practices to advance females.
In a statement, NBA President, Yakubu Chonoko Maikyau, said the association would partner with government to ensure that laws and policies reflect gender equality and equity.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria prohibits discrimination against people on the basis of sex, among other things, thus granting everyone equal status before the law,” he stressed.
Maikyau added that NBA would collaborate with national and international development agencies to check exploitation of women and guarantee their continued participation in society as major stakeholders.
Lauding this year’s theme, “DigitAll: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equity,” the NBA boss observed the topic had given the world a veritable platform to assess and re-assess how to maximise use of digital technology to bridge the gender gap.
“The next global agenda should, therefore, put in place developmental policies and pragmatic mechanism to accelerate equality and equity with the aid of technology,” he said.
Maikyau celebrated the female pioneers in the legal profession for shattering the ceiling in a hitherto male-dominated sphere.
