Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Minister of Women Affairs has said that six states of the federation recorded 27,698 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) between 2020-2023.
The Minister disclosed this at a news conference held in Abuja on Friday in commemoration of this year’s global 16 Days of Activism Against SGBV.
Every year, the world observes the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women from 25th November to 10th December, creating awareness of the need to end violence against women and girls.
This year’s 16 days of activism themed: UNITE! Invest to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls.
“Statistics from the GBV Data Situation room estimate that 35 per cent of women, with one in every three Nigerian females experience violence at some point in their lives, mostly by an intimate partner.
“In the last year, Nigeria, under the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative programme being implemented in six states (Adamawa, Lagos, Sokoto, Cross River, Ebonyi and the FCT), recorded 27,698 cases of SGBV between 2020 and 2023.
“In the recorded cases, there were 1,145 fatal GBV cases; with 393 perpetrators convicted; 9,636 as open cases; 3,432 new cases; 1,741 as closed cases and 1,895 follow-up cases, among others, within the period under review,” the Minister said.
Mr Kennedy-Ohanenye called for nationwide implementation of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, saying it would help in reducing SGBV cases. She added, “It is commendable that the states have adopted the VAPP Act, but the government at that level must ensure full implementation of the Act to protect women and children from all forms of violence.”
Speaking, Matthias Schmale, United Nations Resident Humanitarian Coordinator, called for more empowerment of women and girls, as well as protection through the VAPP Act and increased budgetary allocation.
He said the UN Unite Campaign works in solidarity with relevant governments, development partners, Civil Society Organisations, (CSOs), women groups, the private sector and the media to call for an end to violence against women.
He said, “We are estimating that globally, a staggering 736 million women, that is one in three women around the globe have suffered sexual and or physical intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence or both at least once in their lives.”
