SGBV Archives - Centre for Social Justice

CSJ Seeks Collaboration of Federal Ministry of Health, Others to Tackle Gender Violence

Center for Social Justice — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 06:52:14 +0000

The Centre for Social Justice and her CSO have made an advocacy call to the Federal Ministry of Health on the project “budgeting for Gender-based violence” with support from EU- ACT.
The objective of the visit was to present recommendations and strategies for reducing GBV in the FCT and Nigeria at large.

The Director of Gender, Adolescent school health and elderly care (GASHE) Dr. Olluoraye John appreciated CSJ for the recommendations and said the ministry has policies and plans to reduce GBV and FGM but has challenges of funds and human resources. He assured CSJ of the department’s willingness to partner with CSJ and CSOs within and outside the country to make the fight against gender-based violence a front burner issue.

CSJ also visited the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs where they were warmly welcomed by the Deputy Director , Women Development, Mr. Adamu Samaila Web.
He appreciated CSJ for producing the manual “Budgeting for the Reduction of Gender-Based Violence” which he believes will serve as an oversight to the ministry, when carrying out its mandates .

He assured CSJ that they will study the manual and see areas the ministry is lacking and make redresses. He also solicits support from CSOs to see that the legislature has a change of mind towards the Gender bill and other bills submitted towards reducing GBV and gender inequality.
CSJ also paid advocacy visits to select media houses including the Daily Trust Newspapers, Leadership Newspaper, Kapital FM and Nigeria Police Radio.

Gender-based violence remains a challenge that significantly constrains women’s autonomy and opportunities in Nigeria. According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), no fewer than 158,517 complaints of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against women and children were received in 2021. Ultimately, it behooves all Nigerians to remain diligent and cast away the complacency that has hitherto been the bane of the victims of abuse in our midst.

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CSJ partners Nigeria Police Radio on Campaign Against Gender-based Violence

Center for Social Justice — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 18:21:11 +0000

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has partnered the Nigeria Police Radio 99.1 FM, Abuja in the campaign against gender-based violence (GBV) in FCT.

The programme which runs twice in a week during the early morning Gender Concern stream of the station helps to sensitize Nigerians on the effects of the GBV and what society, government, religious leaders and other stakeholders can do to end the problem.

Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual or a group of individuals based on their gender. It is based on gender inequality, the abuse of power and harmful norms. The term is used to describe the fact that men have more power over women. But while women and girls suffer more from GBV, men and boys can also be targeted.

Funded by the European Union, the radio project is part of the deliverables for the Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation (EU-ACT) Programme which is implemented by CSJ. The EU-ACT project works with civil society organisations (CSOs) to enable them to be credible and effective drivers of change for sustainable development in Nigeria.

The component of the EU-ACT project implemented by the Centre for Social Justice aims to make the Federal Capital Territory Abuja fully responsive to gender-based violence. In the end, it is expected that citizens, ministries, departments and agencies of government and partner Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) acquire strategic knowledge, skill and competences on budgeting to respect, protect and fulfil Nigeria’s obligations on gender-based violence.

In 2021, the National Human Rights Commission said it recorded a total of 4,000 complaint calls from victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in nine months alone.

An earlier survey by the Centre for Social Justice showed that about 25 percent of women in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja will excuse gender-based violence perpetuated by a husband.

“In both streams of the survey, more women who are at the receiving end of domestic violence justified the violence than the men who engage in the violence against women. This is a surprising result,” Eze Onyekpere, the lead director of CSJ said.

“In the circumstances, the violence against women and its justification engages the state’s responsibility to educate and raise awareness; to prosecute offenders and mete appropriate punishment as well as to take preventive action,” Weng Dung, the gender and inclusivity officer of CSJ said.

Data from CSJ show the FCT has more women who have experienced physical violence than the national average and a proportion of men and women still justify domestic violence.

Although campaigns to end gender-based violence have intensified, experts say the crime persists due to lack of requisite punishment for offenders. Gender advocates on their part attribute its rise to the slow dispensation of justice in the trial of sexual offenders.

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CSJ To Spotlight SGBV With New Manual On Budgeting For Gender-Based Violence

Center for Social Justice — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 04:10:54 +0000

The Centre for Social Justice is set to publish a manual on budgeting for gender-based violence, the first of its kind in Nigeria .

The project funded by the European Union under the British Council’s Agents for Citizen-driven Transformation (ACT) will see the publication of one thousand copies of the gender-based violence budgeting manual by the end of its first quarter.

The EU-ACT project aims to make the Federal Capital Territory Abuja fully responsive to gender-based violence. In the end, it is expected that ministries, departments and agencies of government and partner Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) acquire strategic knowledge, skill and competences on budgeting to respect, protect and fulfil the state’s obligations on gender-based violence.

This programme is relevant to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and will contribute to the progressive achievement of SDG 16 but also promotes progress towards SDG 5. The overall objective of the programme is to contribute to more inclusive, effective, accountable and gender-responsive development in Nigeria.

It will complement sectoral programmes by contributing to the strengthening of a strong, vibrant, and independent civil society which can further good governance through policy analysis and advocacy, by monitoring government performance and the action and behaviour of public officials. There will be a specific focus on mobilising Nigerians, including women and girls, vulnerable and marginalised groups especially at the grassroots level, to participate more fully in politics and public affairs towards improving accountability and effectiveness of government.

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CSJ Budget Technical Assistance To SWOFON Increased FG’s Spending On Agriculture

Center for Social Justice — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 13:02:28 +0000

The federal government has increased its spending on agriculture as a result of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) data-driven advocacy and budget technical assistance to the Smallholder Women Farmers Organisation in Nigeria (SWOFON).

The support came under the SPARK project with funding from the International Budget Partnership (IBP).

The overall objective of the project was to support SWOFON through capacity building, to engage policymakers, the budgeting process, and hold duty bearers accountable for obligations under national and international standards and thereby enhance SWOFON’s access to benefits from public resources.

CSJ has provided budget technical assistance to the SPARK program since 2019, supporting SWOFON with strategic training and technical accompaniment.

The project secured three critical budgetary changes to bolster women farmers’ livelihoods and contributions to the country’s agricultural sector. As a result of data-driven advocacy, the federal government increased its spending on agriculture by 18.5% and made new federal budget allocations towards the sector in the five focus states targeted by the program. Crucially, 111,000 smallholder women farmers gained access to new or improved seeds and fertiliser to grow crops, and lighter and more modern equipment to increase production.

IBP and CSJ assisted SWOFON in improving their budget and political advocacy skills so that they knew what they were looking for, whom to address, what to expect, and what to ask for.

Armed with these new skills to examine and navigate the budget and the actors who influence it, SWOFON’s state and national networks led mass actions, including marches across 3 focus states. They also organised mass applications from over 379,000 women for access to fertiliser, seed, and equipment. This strategy exerted electoral pressure on state actors during general elections, since SWOFON represents more than 500,000 women farmers with the power to influence election outcomes through their votes.

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