Some of the protective measures set to stop the spread of COVID-19 exacerbated the scourge of Gender-Based Violence in most developing countries, the Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with the European Union and United Nations’ (EU-UN) Spotlight Initiative launched a GBV data situation room designed to collect and analyse information that would be used to put an end to violence against women and girls, on Tuesday.
Dame Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs, in her welcome speech, emphasised the work of the ministry in combating GBV and the challenges they have faced especially when it comes to data. She said the addition of the situation room showed the government’s commitment towards addressing and ending GBV since it will provide real-time evidence that can then be used to provide solutions.
“In a bid to ensure proper coordination and planning the federal ministry of women affairs on May 15th, 2020 launched the national gender-based violence data collection tool the first of its kind, to ease the drought of gender-based violence in the country with directives that very partner and state organ should use the tool to collect and submit gender-based violence data to the ministry for standardisation,” she said.
She also hinted that soon the work by the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration in committing to gender issues will soon be revealed.
Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nation while making her remark stated that the issue of GBV was in different forms including early child marriage, rape, female genital mutilation (FGM) and physical abuse, and it was rampant across West African countries. According to her, the scourge of GBV could be ended with the collective work of women and men committed to effecting positive change.
“In Nigeria, all women have a right, women and girls, particularly the most vulnerable ones that we don’t see to live a life free from violence and harmful practices and also of fear,” she said.
She also encouraged empathy for those who suffer GBV. “Unless you have been in a position where you have been from morning to night living in fear of when the next blow will come, you can’t quite understand what it is not to be able to sleep without knowing whether you’d wake up the following,” she said.
According to the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey 2018 statistics, 31 per cent of women aged 15 to 49 years have experienced physical violence at least once. The data situation room will launch in Adamawa, Cross River, Ebonyi, Lagos and Sokoto States with the Federal Capital Territory. Presently, 324 personnel have been trained from the six spotlight states to collate and capture data on the platform.
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