Four Ways You Can Invest in Ending Gender-Based Violence
Ending Gender-Based Violence should be the goal for everyone
Women and girls are subjected to different forms of violence from sexual assault to rape, female genital mutilation, child marriage, psychological abuse and even social media-based violence.
According to the World Health Organisation, 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
In Nigeria, statistics have reported that around 1 in every 3 females between the ages of 15 and 49 were revealed to have been subjected to sexual assault.
In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, there was such a high incidence of gender-based violence that the Nigerian Governors declared a state of emergency against gender violence.
Since then, the Governors, their wives and those in government leadership have taken several initiatives to ensure that the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law (VAPP) and the Child Rights Act were passed in several states. This is in addition to an amplification for a call to justice and prosecution towards sex offenders.
The Nigerian government has taken a stand to end gender-based violence but it is not only those in government leadership doing something. You can do something too.
There are different ways that you can take a stand to end gender-based violence.
#1: Acknowledge the Women Behind Efforts to End Gender-Based Violence
You can support the women with NGOs in Nigeria that are taking a stand to end gender-based violence.
There is Adebukola (Bukky) Shonibare, the Executive Director of Invictus Africa, a social enterprise that promotes human rights and addresses gender inequality through data-driven and evidence-based advocacy, legal and policy review and capacity development.
There’s Bola Tinubu who is the founder of the Cece Yara Foundation. The Cece Yara Foundation is Nigeria’s first child helpline.
The foundation is a child-centred non-profit organisation to prevent child sexual abuse and provide access to care, information, protection and emergency intervention for children who are sexually abused or at risk.
There is Fadekemi Agarau and Damilola Adebiyi who are the founders of Education As a Vaccine (EVA). EVA is a non-profit organization registered in Nigeria and the United States to improve the health and development of children, adolescents and young people.
There’s Itoro Eze Anaba who is the founder of the Mirabel Center, the first Sexual Assault Referral centre in Nigeria. The Mirabel Centre helps survivors get access to the support services they need. The Centre works closely with the police and provides medical reports which the police use for further investigation and prosecution of rape cases.
#2: Share Educational Resources on Ending Gender-Based Violence
Educate yourself about the facts about gender-based violence. You should know about the types of violence against women and girls such as Intimate Partner Violence, Rape, Female Genital Mutilation, Child marriage and more.
Then, share resources. You can share resources from non-profit organisation’s pages. Invictus Africa launched “Orange Pages,” which is a directory of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Responders and Service Providers in Nigeria. This initiative complements previous and ongoing efforts aimed at addressing GBV and providing support for survivors.
Also, the organisation has educational resources: publications that educate others such as the Appropriate Sex Education (ASE) Guide.
A guide to help parents/guardians know what to teach children and teenagers about sex. They also have a comic book: Myths Vs Facts: Debunking Common Sex Myths with Facts, a conversation-style comic book to debunk common sex myths among teenagers.
Lastly, there are social media messages. Every November, there is a 16DaysofActivism campaign to raise awareness on GBV. The 2023 theme is #NoExcuse. You can share social media messages that were created for the theme.
#3: Be A Volunteer or Provide Monetary Donations to Women’s Non-Profit Organisations
You can volunteer your time and be part of an organisation’s outreach for sensitization on GBV issues.
You can volunteer at organisations such as Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER). STER is a youth-led social enterprise advocating against sexual violence, providing prevention mechanisms and supporting survivors with psychosocial services.
You can also donate to women-based organisations that focus on the empowerment of women and girls.
Strong Enough Girls’ Empowerment Initiative (SEGEI) is a women-led and youth-focused non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping girls and women in low-resource settings find their voices, access resources and use their talents to thrive.
#4: Take a Stand Against Injustice In Your Environment
Finally, a great way to stop gender-based violence is to take a stand towards the injustice you see within your environment.
If you suspect that something is going wrong, don’t keep quiet. Alert your local authorities. In Nigeria, we have The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The Agency is the Federal Government of Nigeria’s response to addressing the scourge of trafficking in persons. It is a fulfilment of the country’s international obligation under the Trafficking in Persons Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
You can also provide a listening ear to someone who might be a victim. Advise them to go to appropriate organisations such as Sexual Assault Referral Centers where they can get support and counselling on the next best steps.
In Conclusion
Putting an end to gender-based violence is not for NGOs and the government alone.
You can put an end to gender-based violence.
You can raise awareness by acknowledging the women behind the efforts to end gender-based violence.
You can share educational resources about what gender-based violence is, different forms of violence and how to stop it.
You can join NGOs as volunteers to carry out their outreaches and advocate for change.
You can also provide monetary support and donate to organisations so they can continue with their projects and initiatives to stop the violence that women and girls go through.
Finally, you can make your voice heard whenever you see injustice occur so that perpetrators do not go away without consequences.
There’s #noexcuse. Let’s take a stand to end gender-based violence now.
