A report on the safety of girls and women shows that 95 per cent of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in 10 FCT, Niger and Nassarawa states communities, were perpetrated by men and boys.
This was made known on Monday by the Flash Light Actions on Girls Safety (FLAGS) project midline dissemination meeting, organised by Talitha Cumi Foundation (TCF) in Abuja.
The three year FLAGS project is funded by the UN Trust Fund and implemented by TCF to end GBV and support 750 marginalised school girls between 10-19 years.
Ms Comfort Bello, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, TCF, stated that poverty, culture, lack of skills acquisition, parental care and neglect were some of the causes of GBV.
“ On the midline assessment conducted in our FLAGS communities, the major cause of GBV as identified by the respondents is poverty.
“ 71 per cent cases of GBV is poverty and the major perpetrators of GBV is 75 per cent are men, 20 per cent are boys, so basically 95 per cent are men and boys who are the major perpetrators of GBV.
Bello, explained further that the survey also showed that most of the perpetrators of GBV were family members such as brothers, fathers and uncles.
She said: “We believe that if they are continually sensitised in the community, they will be able to protect the girls and GBV will reduce to a minimal.
“ We also encourage skill acquisition training for the girls, this will keep them busy and economic empowerment. Also the respondents requested for more police stations in their communities.’’
She also stressed the need for the establishment of police stations and swift judicial process to ensure arrest, investigation and prosecution of perpetrators to serve as deterrent to others.
On her part, Ms Tayo Erinle, Executive Director, TCF, stressed the need for the establishment of shelters for the safety of GBV survivors.
She said it was important to empower women and girls with skills to enable them have psycho-social support.
Erinle, decried the inadequate shelters to carter for the GBV survivors, especially for girls above 18 years and above, urging stakeholders to provide more for the safety of girls and women.
“ We need shelters, places where we can keep the survivors safe and rehabilitate them, while justice is taking its cause and government can support in this regard.
“ If we are unable to take survivors out of where they are being abused, it will continue because of their level of vulnerability.
“ So, Shelters are very important and as it is now, shelters are very inadequate, we don’t have enough especially for people above 18 years.
“ People who have access to the fund and facilities should provide shelter, that is a great way to support the war against GBV’’, she said.
She revealed that slow judicial process stalled justice for GBV cases, increased the act and further affected the mental health of survivors.
“ The will of justice is very slow and can be very frustrating for the survivors and us.
“This is because sometimes when you pass through the stages of gathering required evidence, getting the support from the health and community level, FIDA, Police and ends up in the court and it is taking forever.
“It has to be looked into because if not it makes it appear as if nothing is being done.
“When people suffer GBV, the harm can be soothed or some comfort can come when they see justice. But while these cases are ongoing, community, family members are appealing, threatening to drop the cases,’’ she said.
Mrs Gloria Ekanem, Women Development Department, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs said: “Every opportunity to talk about girls safety is an opportunity to discuss the future of young Nigerian women.
“Whatever you learnt here, discuss with your friends, family because it will also enlighten them as well.
“The issue of rape is so rampart, know how to protect yourselves and be armed with the right education from the right people so that you will not be misled,’’ she said.
Also, Mrs Funmi Kolawole, gender desk Officer, Nigeria Police said: “Most of the cases reported are from villages, communities and most of the pepetrators are relations that are supposed to take care of the survivors.
“ The number of people reporting GBV are more than how it used to be and the culture of silence has been broken and we have a lot of reports now.
“ FCT command are not leaving any stone unturned, we are prosecuting them and have a lot of perpetrators that are prosecuted and already in prison, while some still pending.
“ When you see something, you say something because without information and reporting, there will be no room for investigation, prosecution and the perpetrator may continue.’’
Miss miracle 12 year old school dropout said the FLAGS project has exposed her to GBV preventive measures, how to seek help, improve her self-esteem and menstrual health hygiene management.
