By Justina Auta
The 2024 Womanity Index report has revealed that Lagos, Rivers and Ekiti states recorded the highest response to Gender Based Violence (GBV) and harmful practices against women and girls.
The report was released on Wednesday in Abuja by Invictus Africa, a civic organisation that promotes human rights and gender equality.
The Executive Director of Invictus Africa, Ms Bukky Shonibare said that the report was from 18,500 respondents nationwide, as compared to the 5,800 samples collated in 2023.
Shonibare said that the survey was necessitated by the need to asses the progress of subnational governments in their efforts to prevent and respond to GBV and promote gender equality.
She said that the report worked around five indexes.
She listed the indexes laws and policy; access to legal justice; support services for survivors, information and awareness, as well as budget and spending.
According to her, the states were colour coded and graded based on their performance and progress, which include blue, green, amber, and red.
“The blue states are the ones that are really advancing, amber states are evolving, green states are performing, while red states are still struggling on each of those five indexes.
“This year, we have three states that are now blue states. Lagos State is still a blue state, River and Ekiti states are now blue states.
“We have more states that moved from red to amber this year, like Katsina state, and they are now amber state,” she said.
Shonibare said that one of the things that Katsina state did well was to have passed the VAPP Act, which upped its mark in the laws and policies index.
“They also established and launched their sexual assault referral centre, which they did not have before, and so they were able to score a mark in that regard as well.
“There are some states that still maintain their score from last year, but we saw a lot of states move from amber to green. It is our desire that every state is a blue state,” she said.
She said that the Womanity index also showed that 63 per cent of Nigerians say that they have either experienced GBV or know someone who has experienced it.
“That is, only 37 per cent have not experienced GBV or do not know anyone, and when we say GBV, we are not just talking about sexual form, rape or sexual assault.
“We are talking about GBV in the form of sexual, physical, emotional, economical, mental or psychological,”.she said.
She said that the most prevalent form of GBV that Nigerians faced was domestic violence or intimate partner violence, followed by physical violence.
“There are also mental or psychological violence, and then we have the sexual violence, and economic violence.
“Data also shows us that 70 per cent of Nigerians who experience GBV experience it in their homes, followed by public places like the market, schools, workplace, religious institutions.
”Over 34 per cent of people sought help, first from their families and relatives, followed by police or law enforcement.
“Ideally, police or law enforcement should be the first place that they seek help.
“But when I get to the last question of why people choose where they seek help, people choose where they seek help, mostly on the basis of trust,” she said.
She, therefore urged the law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to work towards a system where people can trust them, such that they are the first point of contact.
The Chairperson, Nigeria Governors’ Wives Forum (NIGWF), Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq said that the annual ranking had helped to show progress made in states and areas that should be focused on in ending GBV.
Abdulrazaq, who is also the First Lady of Kwara state, said that indices were important.
“The data is important. This tracks work. It lets us know how we are faring, what we are doing,” she said.
She urged people to speak out against violence.
“Break the culture of silence, stop stigmatisation, seek law enforcement help and increase women’s representation to end all forms of violence,” she said.
The Regional Director, Ford Foundation, West Africa, Dr Chichi Aniagolu emphasised the importance of data to help in monitoring the impact and progress made in ending GBV.
Rev. Fr. George Ehunasi, representing Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, stressed the need to end GBV to achieve national development.
“You can not develop as a country when in our society, it is alleged that one out of three women and girls are sexually violated or suffer domestic violence.
“If one out of three, or 50 per cent of the population, which is women, suffer SGBV, then the country can not make progress.
“So clearly, this Invictus Womanity index is not just for women and girls, it is for all of us,” she said.
He, therefore, emphasised the need to create more awareness on prevention of GBV, strengthen the law enforcement and judicial systems to ensure justice for survivors and victims.
