COMMUNIQUE OF CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN ADAMAWA STATE ON PREVENTION AND RESPONSES TO SGBV/VAWG/HP AND PROMOTION OF SRHR

INTRODUCTION

The Capacity Building Workshop for Law Enforcement Agencies in Adamawa State on prevention and responses to sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), violence against women and girls (VAWG), harmful practices (HP) and promotion of 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 Madugu Rockview Hotel, 10 Rock Heaven Avenue, Behind Government House, Yola Adamawa State on August 12^th and 13^th 2020. Participation was drawn from Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Nigeria Correctional Services.

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: National and sub-national systems and institutions plan, fund and deliver evidence-based programmes that prevent and respond to violence against women and girls and harmful practices in all sectors. The planned output is that capacities of law enforcement agents and prosecutors is strengthened to deliver services that prevent and respond to VAWG/SGBV/HP, especially for those groups of women and girls facing intersecting and multiple forms of discrimination.

The objectives were designed from the supply side considering that law enforcement is central to the fulfilment of government’s fundamental obligation to society which is to maintain law and order and secure lives and property of citizens and residents. The workshop is to build capacity of strategic law enforcement officials to have a deep appreciation of:

• The purpose and principles of mainstreaming prevention and responses to VAWG/SGBV/HP and women and girls’ access to SRHR in law enforcement;
• National and international standards relevant to law enforcement and VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR;
• Challenges of operationalising and mainstreaming preventive and response measures on VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR in law enforcement;
• Fit and good practices/best practices in prevention and response to VAWG/SGBV/HP in law enforcement;
• Establish the relationship for continued institutional knowledge support within the project period.

The topics presented were as follows:

(a) The Purpose and Principles of Mainstreaming Prevention and Response to VAWG/SGBV/HP/SRHR in Law Enforcement.

(b) Standards on Law Enforcement and SGBV/VAWG/HP/SRHR. 

(c) Best Practices in Preventing and Responding to SGBV/VAWG/HP.

(d) Challenges of Operationalising and Mainstreaming Prevention and Responses to SGBV/VAWG/HP and SRHR in Law Enforcement.

(e) Gender and Law Enforcement in Nigeria in the Light of SGBV/VAWG/HP/SRHR: Issues, Challenges and the Way Forward.

The participants undertook group discussions which focused on identifying gaps and challenges, emergent best practices as well as low hanging fruits for action in law enforcement for prevention and responses to SGBV/VAWG/HP and promotion of SRHR.

 OBSERVATIONS

The Workshop Made the Following Observations

a. Law Enforcement Agencies have a fundamental obligation to protect lives and property and to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms including the rights to human dignity and non-discrimination for women, girls and vulnerable groups. The fulfilment of this obligation should entail freedom from SGBV/VAWG/HP for women and girls and the promotion of their SRHR.

b. There are several legal and policy provisions that protect women and girls from SGBV/VAWG/HP. These include the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Adamawa State Penal Code, Nigeria Police Regulations, the Compulsory, Free, Universal Basic Education Act. Others include all treaties and standards ratified and applicable to Nigeria – United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials, Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Sustainable Development Goal 5; 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 Covenants on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), etc.

c. The establishment of the Nigeria Police Gender Unit and the NSCDC gender Unit is a welcome development with the capacity to drastically reduce gender-based violence. However, the Gender Units have not been adequately resourced.

d. Certain practices within the police discriminate against women include the following:

• Married women are disqualified from enlistment into the Nigeria Police Force;
• Women are compelled to stay 2 years on the job after enlistment before marriage
• Required to apply for approval to marry and the fiancé subjected to investigation and approval;
• Restricted sphere of posting for Police Women;
• Police Women prohibited from wearing earring, face powder or lipstick;
• Police Women mandated to inscribe the alphabet ‘W’ before their ranks and made to indicate that they are women;
• Police Women given special kind of Force Number to easily identify them as women.

e. There are challenges of availability of forensic tools and experts for the investigation of SGBV/VAWG/HP and SRHR of women and girls.

f. SGBV/VAWG/HP contrary to legal provisions, manifests in various dimensions in the home, in the community, public places and at places of work. These include domestic violence, emotional violence, rape, sexual harassment in schools and workplaces, stalking, female genital mutilation (FGM), femicide, denial of education, disinheritance, widowhood practices, stigmatisation and shaming, etc.

g. Violations of the SRHR of women and girls manifest in forced marriages, child brides, teenage motherhood, forced pregnancies, denial of maternal care including ante natal and safe delivery care, vesico vaginal fistula (VVF), unsafe abortion and denial of use of contraceptives. It also manifests in the undue increase of the Nigerian population – a situation where population growth outstrips economic growth.

h. SGBV/VAWG/HP are recognised obstacles to the achievement of equality, development and peace; nullifies and impairs women’s enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms; is a global public health challenge and causes physical, psychological and economic harm and suffering to women.

i. The culture of silence, stigmatisation and shaming of women and girls who complain about sexual offences contributes to perpetrator impunity and the continuation of sexual and gender-based violence.

j. Further to paragraph I, overall, law enforcement practices and attitudes have not been overtly supportive of victims and survivors of SGBV and VAWG.

k. Adamawa 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 Penal Code.

l. Criminal investigations are pivotal for effective criminal justice adjudication and there is the need for professionalism, objectivity and integrity in the investigation and reporting process.

m. Several low hanging fruits are available in law enforcement for the realisation of freedom from violence for women and girls in Adamawa State.

 RESOLUTIONS

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

a. Law Enforcement Agencies commit to redouble their efforts towards eradicating SGBV/VAWG/HP for women and girls and the promotion of their SRHR. Inter-Agency collaboration will be encouraged and strengthened.

b. Commit to the development of a Common Law Enforcement Standard Operating Procedure on SGBV/VAWG/HP as well as specific Gender Policies for different Law Enforcement Agencies.

c. Law Enforcement Agencies commit to provide information for the publication of details of offenders in the Sexual Offenders Register.

d. The Nigeria Police and NSCDC Gender Units should be adequately resourced with financial resources, capacity building for its key personnel and logistics support for its operations. Furthermore, there should be improved funding of the Police and NSCDC especially the forensic units.

e. Commit to enhanced participation in the activities of the Adamawa Sexual Assault Referral Centre and the Sexual and Gender Based Violence Response Team to ensure

that it becomes a One Stop Response Centre for SGBV.

f. Commit to engage other stakeholders in the struggle against SGBV/VAWG/HP and promotion of SRHR. These stakeholders include the legal and medical professions, counsellors, women’s rights groups and associations, civil society organisations, religious and traditional institutions, etc.

g. Commit to take preventive action and adequate response to matters of domestic violence, emotional violence, rape, sexual harassment in schools and workplaces, stalking, female genital mutilation (FGM), femicide, denial of education, disinheritance, widowhood practices, stigmatisation and shaming, etc.

h. Commit to take preventive action and adequate responses to violations of SRHR especially forced and child marriages, forced pregnancies, denial of maternal care including ante natal and safe delivery care.

i. To reverse the culture of silence, stigmatisation and shaming of women and girls who complain about sexual offences through sensitisation and a new culture of survivor centred approach to policing and law enforcement.

j. Commit to the full and strict implementation of the Adamawa State Penal Code provisions 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 to be vigorously prosecuted.

k. Commit to improved criminal investigations through deploying impartiality, strict truthfulness, intelligence, respect, courtesy, patience, perseverance and persistence, professionalism, objectivity and integrity in the investigation and reporting process of SGBV/VAWG/HP and promotion of SRHR.

Signed

ASP Yossi Oded                           Superintendent Charity A. Fwah

Nigeria Police Force                        Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps

CSC Amos Kenneth                      Eze Onyekpere, Esq

Nigeria Correctional Service          Centre for Social Justice