COMMUNIQUE FOR CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP FOR STRATEGIC MINISTRIES, DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES OF SOKOTO STATE GOVERNMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS/PLANS ON SGBV/VAWG/HP AND SRHR

INTRODUCTION

The Capacity Building Workshop for Strategic Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Sokoto State Government on formulation of Action Plans and Policies and implementation of National and International Standards on sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), violence against women and girls (VAWG), harmful practices (HP) and the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls was convened by Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) with the support of the European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative at Grand New Shukura Hotel, 10 Kano Road Sokoto, Sokoto State on August 24^th and 25^th 2020. Participation was drawn from MDAs of Sokoto State notably, the Ministries of Women Affairs, Agriculture, Environment, Education, Health, Finance,  Budgeting and Economic Planning, Bureau of Statistics, Information, Social Welfare, Works and Transport, Justice, Youth and Sports Development and the State House of Assembly.

The workshop is part of a series of activities under the Spotlight Initiative which seeks to eliminate violence against women and girls with the overall vision of a Nigeria where all women and girls, particularly the most vulnerable, live a life free from violence and harmful practices.

The workshop was convened to contribute to an outcome vis; Legislative and policy frameworks based on evidence and in line with international human rights standards, on all forms of violence against women and girls and harmful practices are in place and translated into plans. The expected output is that capacities of government officials are strengthened to advocate for, and participate in the domestication, review, the development and implementation of laws and policies on ending VAWG, including SGBV/HP and promotion of the SRHR of women and girls. 

The objectives are designed from the supply side considering that government provides the supply in the performance of official duties in fulfilment of the fundamental objective of governance – that the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. It seeks to build the capacity of participants to:

• Understand SGBVVAWG/HP/SRHR and the provisions in subnational, national and international standards including the SDGs on the project theme;
• Understand and use the indicators for measurement and assessment of progress towards eradicating VAWG/SGBV/HP and promoting SRHR in the preparation and implementation of national and subnational plans;
• Mainstream response to VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR in the preparation and implementation of national and state level policy instruments;
• Mainstream responses to VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR in the preparation and implementation of budgets within the policy, plan budget continuum;
• Establish the relationship for continued institutional knowledge support within the project period.

The following presentations were made:

(a) Legal Standards on SGBV/VAWG/HP and SRHR.

(b) Indicators for Measurement of Success in Eradicating SGBV/VAWG/HP and promoting SRHR.

(c) Mainstreaming SGBV/VAWG/HP/SRHR in Plans and Policies.

(d) Budgeting for the Eradication of SGBV/VAWG/HP and improvement of SRHR.

(e) Review of the published SGBV and Sokoto State Budget: 2016-2019.

The participants undertook group discussions which focused on identifying policy gaps and challenges as well as low hanging fruits for action in the following MDAs; Women Affairs, Education, Health, Justice, Youth and Sports, Agriculture and Information. 

 OBSERVATIONS

The Workshop Made the Following Observations

a) Sokoto State, as a part of the Nigerian Federation is bound by all treaties ratified and applicable to Nigeria. These include the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), SDG5 and other relevant Goals and Comments/Observations of the CEDAW Committee; United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (DEVAW); the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and its Limburg Principles and Maastricht Guidelines in relation to States parties obligations, etc.

b) Sokoto State has enacted a Gender Policy and the Right to Education Law which prioritises the education of the Girl Child. It is in the process of adopting the Child Rights Act. However, there is no specific law prohibiting domestic violence in the State.

c) The State has not set up by law, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response Teams. The existing SGBVR Team in the State was set up by Voluntary Agencies in collaboration with Government.

d) We recall the promise of the Body of Attorney Generals of the 19 Northern states to adopt the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act across all the states in the Region.

e) Sokoto State recognises in its Penal Code that 18 years is the age of majority and informed consent and anyone below the age of 18 is deemed to be a child by law. Sex with any person under the age of 18 is criminalised by the Sokoto State Penal Code.

f) Sources for data, measurement of progress and validation of the observance of norms for the eradication of SGBV/VAWG/HP and improvement of SRHR of women and girls include the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) and Nigerian Education Indicators.

g) Available data indicates that Sokoto State:

• Performed well in the low numbers of female genital mutilation/cutting.
• Performed poorly in early marriage and teenage motherhood, delivery by skilled birth attendants and in a health facility as well as usage of modern contraceptives.
• Despite the free education programme, girl child attendance and completion rates in basic education is low; monitoring and evaluation is still poor.
• 35% Affirmative Action for Sokoto Women is not yet in place.
• Health establishments are lacking qualified personnel, equipment and facilities, etc.
• Judicial and law enforcement challenges include lack of dedicated courts to try SGBV; stigmatisation, etc.

h) The following MDAs were deemed to be central to the campaign for the eradication of SGBV/VAWG/HP and promotion of the SRHR of women and girls vis, the Ministries of Women Affairs, Agriculture, Environment, Education, Health, Finance, Budgeting and Economic Planning, Bureau of Statistics, Information, Social Welfare, Works and Transport, Health, Justice, Youth and Sports Development and the State House of Assembly.

i) We observe that the concept of resources for the struggle against SGBV/VAWG/HP is beyond money and fiscal resources. Resources include human, information, ecological, technological, etc. resources.

j) The Appropriation Act provisions for SGBV seems to be poorly funded across the sectors in the State as the releases do not match the appropriations.

k) Several low hanging fruits in activities, budgeting and policy are available for the realisation of freedom from violence across the state.

 RESOLUTIONS

Based On The Foregoing Observations, The Workshop Participants Resolved As Follows:

a) Commit to work for the dissemination, sensitisation and implementation of the State Gender Policy.

b)Participants commit to raise awareness and disseminate information on national and international standards as well as strengthen relationships, cooperation and collaboration among Sokoto MDAs. We also commit to tap the energies and capacities of CSOs in the State.

c) Participants commit to bridge the gap between laws and policies and their implementation and to use empirical evidence for policy and plan implementation.

d) Work through their MDAs for adoption of the Child Rights Act, establishment by law of the Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response Team which would be a one stop centre with requisite competencies to respond to SGBV

e) Commit to work for the enactment of a specific law prohibiting domestic violence.

f) Take up the promise of the Body of Attorney Generals of the 19 Northern states to adopt VAPP across all the states in the Region through the engagement of the executive and legislature in Sokoto State.

g) Tackle the challenges of child/early marriage, teenage pregnancy and VVF through the enforcement of the universal basic education requirement for all girls to be in school until 18. Sensitisation and engagement of religious leaders and traditional rulers on the provisions of the Penal Code of Sokoto State on the age of marriage and consent to marriage as anyone below the age of 18 is deemed to be a child by law.

h) To mainstream SGBV/VAWG/HP and SRHR in the budgets of the Ministries of Women Affairs, Agriculture, Environment, Education, Health, Finance,  Budgeting and Economic Planning, Bureau of Statistics, Information, Social Welfare, Works and Transport, Health, Justice, Youth and Sports Development, etc. in 2021 and subsequent years as well as ensure that expenditure proposals are realistic and in tandem with revenue sources which will lead to budgets being fully funded.

i) To deploy other resources including information, technology and ecological resources for the eradication of SGBV/VAWG/HP and promotion of SRHR, etc.

j) Low hanging fruits would include:

• General: Mainstreaming inter agency collaboration on SGBV/VAWG/HP and SRHR.
• Health: Training of health personnel to handle SGBV Survivors, Free Maternal and Child Health Services. Expand coverage of the Contributory Health Insurance Scheme.
• Information: Sensitisation and awareness raising on SGBV using radio and in the local language.
• Women Affairs: Sensitisation, awareness raising and capacity building. Setting up knowledge centres and capacity units in the Ministry of Women Affairs to facilitate women’s access to micro credit/soft loans and funding from development agencies;
• Education: improved second chance opportunities.
• State Government: To take advantage of all Counterpart Funding Programmes in Education (Universal Basic Education), Health (Basic Health Care Provision Fund), etc. To increase the appropriation of the Ministry of Women Affairs to not less than 1.5% of the budget.
• Legislature: Making budgets realistic based on available resources.

Signed

Hajiya Kulu Nuhu                                                   Muktar Garba Gande

Ministry of Women Affairs                                      Ministry of Agriculture

Bashir Bawa Yabo                                                 Shuaibu Umar Gatawa

Ministry of Health                                                     Ministry of Finance 

Hajiya Zainab L Tumaki                                        Muazu Aliyu

Ministry of Budgeting and Economic Planning   Bureau of Statistics

Ibrahim Mohammed Iya                            Abdullahi Marafa                           

Ministry of Information                                Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education

Aishatu Shuaibu Sani                                           Zainab Bello Aliyu, Esq

Ministry of Works and Transport                           Ministry of Justice

Shehu Dantuni Shagari                                        Bello Ahmed Tambuwal

Ministry of Youth and Sports Development         State House of Assembly.

Muhuyidini Muhammad                                              Eze Onyekpere, Esq

Ministry of Social Welfare                             Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice