By Chimezie Godfrey
A Coalition of Civil Society Organizations,CSOs has urged state governors to expedite the process of passing the VAPP Acts into law in their respective states.
The coalition made the call on Thursday in Abuja during a press conference on pertinent issues concerning gender-based violence (GBV) and the required urgency for the passage of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act across 18 states yet to pass the law, among other demands.
They recalled that previously they reminded the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to “walk the talk” and fulfil the commitment they made on the 12th of June 2020, when they declared a state of emergency against sexual and gender-based violence.
They however noted that it is rather discouraging that since the NGF gave this assurance, only four states out of the 21 — Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, and very recently, Abia, Delta and Kwara states — have passed this law.
The Coalition also noted that consequently, the #StateOfEmergencyGBV Movement sent individually signed letters to the 527 members of State Houses of Assembly and the 18 Governors in the remaining 18 states to remind them of the need to take action now.
The group pointed out that the global community concluded the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence recently, while equally stressing that the passage of this very important law in these 18 states will enable a nationally coordinated implementation strategy against GBV.
“Again, we commend Abia and Kwara states for finally passing the VAPP Act, as well as Katsina State for passing the Child Rights Act.
“Violence against women and girls in Nigeria has increased and worsened in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with rising economic inequality setting the stage for even more damage in our communities. We appeal to the remaining states to take action as well,” they said.
According to the UN Women report in May 2020, the rise of gender-based violence in Nigeria during the COVID-19 crisis will have life-threatening consequences for women and girls and a profound impact on their opportunities and life trajectory. This, the report says, will have ripple consequences across communities and the whole country as Nigeria begins to recover from the detrimental economic and health impacts of the pandemic.
The group maintained that the VAPP Act (2015) and the Child Rights Act (2003) remain the two pieces of legislation that adequately protects women, girls, children and indeed, everyone from sexual and gender-based violence.
They added that VAPP Act, in particular, also protects men and boys against sexual and domestic violence, and therefore called on the remaining states that are yet to pass the Act into law to do so as a matter of urgency.
They said,”We are calling on the State Governors and Members of the State Houses of Assembly in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Gombe, Jigawa, Imo, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, to expedite the process of passing the VAPP Act.
“The Child Rights Act passed since 2003 by the National Assembly to provide protection for every Nigerian child against any form of abuse, including child labour, early marriage, and access to free and safe education has yet to be adopted in the following states: Bauchi, Yobe, Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Borno, Zamfara, Gombe, Kebbi, and Jigawa states, 17 years on.
“For clarity, our demands remain: Domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015 and the Child Rights Act of 2003 in all states of the federation.
“Establishment of Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARCs) and well-equipped shelters in every state, backed with a coordinated, sustainably-funded support system. Only 17 out of the 36 states and FCT have established SARCs, including Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bornu, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT-Abuja, Jigawa and Kaduna. Others are Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara. There are 29 SARCs across these states.
“Criminalization and prompt state-led prosecution of SGBV cases within a reasonable time, regardless of requests or interference by the victim’s family or interested parties.
“This also includes the demand for specialized courts for sexual offences which will be the best way forward in each state.
The Coalition also demanded the implementation of functional Family Support Units and Force Gender Units of the Nigeria Police Force, well-resourced to address GBV cases in collaboration with and at the state level.
They further called for the imposition of public disciplinary measures against officials of the Nigeria Police Force and state prosecutors that mishandle cases of GBV.
“As we reflect on “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect,” the theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we call on these state governors to honour their promise of 12th of June 2020 by working with other stakeholders to end violence against women and girls.
“We also call on the federal and state governments and her agencies to prioritise the prevention of sexual exploitation and violence — to hold individuals accountable and to respect the dignity of survivors by providing them with meaningful support in line with the commitments made in the Beijing Platform for Action, 25 years ago.
“We have lost too many lives to the evils of sexual and gender crimes – Obiamaka Orakwue, a 15-year-old Secondary School student raped and killed in her home in Lagos State; Uwavera Omozuwa, the 22-year-old University of Benin student raped and killed at a church in Benin.
“Others are Grace Oshiagwu, 21-year-old National Diploma student of Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, Oyo State; Bello Barakat, 18-year-old student of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production in Ibadan and counting.
“This must not be allowed to continue. Nigerians must hold their leaders to account and ensure that these laws are not just passed, but perpetrators of sexual and gender-based crimes are punished accordingly,” they stressed.
The group reiterated that sexual violence against women and girls is abhorrent & preventable.
They vowed that they will continue to pursue this purpose, adding that this is also a responsibility for every citizen to ensure all Nigerians live free of fear and violence, particularly for women, girls and children.
The Coalition is made up of about five civil society organizations which were represented by Chioma Agwuegbo, Executive Director, TechHer, Hamzat Lawal, Executive Director, Connected Development, Buky Williams, Executive Director, Education as a Vaccine, Dorothy Njemanze, Executive Director, Dorothy Njemanze Foundation, and Yetunde Bakare, Snr. Programs Officer, Yiaga Africa.
