By Lawrence Bajah, Abuja
He began to beat her. Shocked by the unexpected behaviour, she reported him to her pastor, expecting the pastor “to pray and cast out the demon” in her husband.
But the pastor instead advised her to return to her parents’ house, warning that the abuse would continue. It did, but she stayed with the hope that he would change.
This was the best intervention the church could provide for her because it lacked resources or guidelines to help members in such relationships. This is the fate of one of victims of gender-based violence like many others out there, who declined that name be used in print. “The violence and abuse left me devastated and depressed that I even contemplated suicide” she stated.
Remi Johnson, a broadcast journalist, speaking on gender-based violence and the declining voices of women in the FCT said: “Some institutional norms that tends to make women enter their shell or become unnecessarily quiet are societal stigmas/ premonitions, bullying of subordinates by superiors of opposite sex in the office environment, religious perceptions on the need for women to be submissive.
“For instance, some cultures believe that women should not speak where men are speaking. This for me is a stereotype and barriers that every woman needs to break, to become free.”.
What is Gender-based violence (GBV), in the first instance? by definition is violence directed against a person because of that person’s gender or violence that affects persons of a particular gender disproportionately.
Violence against women is understood as a violation of human rights and a form of discrimination against women and shall mean all acts of gender-based violence that result in, or are likely to result in physical harm, sexual harm, psychological, or economic harm or suffering to women.
It can include violence against women, domestic violence against women, men or children living in the same domestic unit. Although women and girls are the main victims of GBV, it also causes severe harm to families and communities.
Violence against women is an invisible and ageless pandemic that impacts the lives of those who experience it but also affects their families and communities.
Physical harm results in injuries, distress and health problems, and may even lead to death in certain cases. Typical forms of physical violence are beating, strangling, pushing, and the use of weapons.
Sexual harm includes unconsented sexual acts, attempts to obtain a sexual act, acts to traffic, or acts otherwise directed against a person’s sexuality without the person’s consent.
Psychological harm includes psychologically abusive behaviours, such as controlling, coercion, economic violence, and blackmail.
Socio economic harm involves the principle of equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation. The principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services. The principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity.
In the Federal Capital Territory, scourge of GBV is statistically proved to be high, the Federal Capital Territory’s Mandate Secretary for Women Affairs, Mrs. Adedayo Laniyi, recently during a meeting with some stakeholders ahead of activities for a 16-day Activism against GBV, disclosed that 2,344 cases of gender-based violence have so far been recorded in the FCT in 2023.
She said, “10 days ago, the number of reported cases of GBV in the FCT was less than 2,000, but just in the last count on Wednesday, November 22, 2023, the number surged to 2,344 reported cases.”
She explained that the FCT wanted to use the National Dashboard of GBV to create awareness on the underreporting and state of crisis in the communities and six area councils.
She added, “We are a cosmopolitan and as well as a very interesting indigenous community, and in the palaces of our royal fathers they have cases every day, some are so challenging that even how to bring them to the fore for the police to intervene is often challenging.
“So now, the ingenuity of the Department of the FCT Gender Based Violence Focal Person was to create this engagement and let them see that this is not good enough, that if we trigger consciousness within you, then as mothers in those communities, you will do something.
“For me, it also became a trigger and a clear dashboard for my inaugural assignment.”
In the same vein, National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person, (NAPTIP), has noted with dismay the rising cases of spousal abuse in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) making close to half of the reported cases of abuse and other related cases of violence.
Director General of the Agency, Professor Fatima Waziri-Azia, Said, “In 2022, we received 1, 342 reported cases of violence and abuse through our 24-hour call center and others, and from January to June we have already received 623 reported cases and the highest number of reported cases.
“In 2022, the highest number of reported cases received were on spousal abuse, fast forward to 2023 in six months, the highest number of reports received is still spousal abuse so that tells us that it is a very big problem within the family.
“For the FCT, there is heightened awareness regarding these issues of violence, people are better informed, and they know what is acceptable and what is not within the ambit of the law and the general effect of all of this is the increased reportage of cases of violence.
“This generally does not mean an increase in crime, but it signifies an increase in public trust in NAPTIP as an institution and that bad behaviour is no longer tolerated.
According to her, “The retreat is to create a platform for prosecutors and judges to share unique experiences in the trial and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence. I hope all the prosecuting counsels here will take advantage of this privileged opportunity to listen and learn from my Lords on how to carry on in the courtroom.
“In 2022 we secured four convictions in the FCT and a landmark conviction, one in Sokoto of rape and the other in Sokoto where the perpetrator bagged 21 years imprisonment without the option of fine.”
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, at a recent briefing in Abuja said, “If we have a mobile court, it will help as we go for our advocacy against SGBV. We have been advocating, and spending money, to no avail.
She disclosed that the reforms targets, “When victims report, police will come in for arrest, we will take the victim straight to the hospital to confirm and then the mobile courts come in to ensure justice is served.”
Just like government agencies, non-governmental organization like the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and Gender Strategy Advancement International (GSAi) should hailed for consistently fighting against gender-based violence against women.
The chief operating officer at Facebook and former Google executive, Sandberg in her book ‘Lean In’ celebrated as a feminist manifesto, shares her own experiences as well as those of other women in high corporate positions, encouraging women to “lean in” and claim their seat at the table. Instead of simply bemoaning the current state of affairs, she gives concrete advice on how women can break the limiting patterns they face in the working world.
According to her: “Don’t check out of your career early just because you’re planning to have kids, find a partner who is willing to support your career, forget the unrealistic concept of “having it all,” and start taking more risks. Both men and women will find invaluable lessons in leadership that will help you maneuver your future career.”
