The Women Aid Collective (WACOL), in partnership with the Ford Foundation, has called for an integrated, multi-sectoral approach to ending gender-based violence (GBV) in Nigeria, stressing that the menace cannot be tackled by laws and law enforcement agencies alone.
This position formed the highlight of a one-day capacity strengthening workshop for government officials, ministries, departments, and agencies in Ebonyi State, held on Monday, September 15, in Abakaliki.
The training, which focused on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls, also addressed the safeguarding of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights.
Participants were drawn from the Ministries of Justice, Women Affairs, Education, Health, Youth Development, and Information, as well as the Police, Judiciary, and the National Human Rights Commission.
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Helen Kalu, WACOL’s Legal Officer and a key facilitator, described GBV as a global crisis sustained by patriarchy, myths, and misconceptions that render women vulnerable. She noted that one in every three women worldwide has experienced violence, while over 200 million women have been subjected to female genital mutilation.
She dismissed the notion that indecent dressing fuels sexual violence, stressing that perpetrators target even underage children and elderly women.
“GBV is not a women’s issue; it is a human rights violation and an obstacle to equality, peace, and development. It cannot be addressed by law enforcement alone but through coordinated, multi-stakeholder action,” Kalu said.
Stakeholders at the workshop agreed that weak institutions particularly the police, judiciary, and other bureaucracies remain major barriers to justice.
They also emphasized the family’s role as the first social unit in shaping children with values of respect, tolerance, and love.
Christopher Okorie, State Coordinator of the National Human Rights Commission, along with other participants including Nwakaego Igboke of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Barr. Faithvin Nwanchor of the Ministry of Justice, and Goodness Mgbaja of Civil Resource Development Centre, underscored the importance of parenting in curbing GBV.
“Every perpetrator came from a family. Failures in parenting often lead to failures in society. Even when survivors seek redress, compromises by families and institutions derail justice,” Mgbaja noted.
Representing WACOL’s Executive Director, Prof. Ngozi Ezeilo (SAN), Senior Programme Officer Anulika Ezennia said the workshop was designed to foster stronger collaboration among agencies and improve referral pathways for survivors.
She lamented that survivors’ silence and delays in the justice system often weaken the fight but assured that WACOL and its partners remain resolute in pushing for a society free from gender-based violence.
