The scars of violence were not always visible. Sometimes, they appeared through constant insults that damaged a person’s confidence.
It could also be a partner who controlled every means of livelihood, a child caught in the middle of parental conflicts, or a survivor who remained silent because of fear, shame and stigma.
Across many communities, sexual and gender-based violence has continued to affect individuals and families, leaving emotional, physical and psychological consequences that often go unnoticed.
In response to this growing concern, the Women Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria and with support from the Government of Canada through the Renewed Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria Project, organised a Community Legal Clinic in Olokun, Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The programme brought together traditional leaders, community leaders and residents of Olokun to educate them on sexual and gender-based violence, legal protections available to survivors and the role communities could play in preventing and responding to abuse.
Legal practitioner with the Women Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), Barrister Oladayo Davis, spoke on emotional, economic and physical violence, stressing that sexual and gender-based violence extended beyond physical abuse and carried serious legal consequences.
During an interactive session with participants, Davis encouraged men who disclosed experiencing emotional distress arising from societal expectations attached to their gender and pressures within their relationships to seek healthy ways of addressing such challenges rather than allowing them to result in violence.
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Speaking of economic violence, Davis cautioned against controlling a partner’s financial independence or preventing them from earning a livelihood, noting that some individuals used threats, including divorce, to keep their partners economically dependent.
Addressing physical violence, Davis stressed that regardless of disagreements, separation or family conflicts, parents had no justification for neglecting their children or abandoning their responsibilities towards them.
Barrister Oladayo Davis maintained that sexual and gender-based violence was not a private family matter but a violation of the law with serious consequences, as she urged traditional and community leaders to serve as a bridge between survivors and the appropriate legal authorities by ensuring that cases were reported and referred for justice.
To shed more light on child protection and parental responsibilities, legal practitioner, Barrister Suliyat Shittu, highlighted provisions of the Child Rights Law, explaining that parents remained legally obligated to care for their children irrespective of separation, conflict or divorce.
According to her, every child had the right to protection, birth registration, quality healthcare, education, freedom of expression and safety from exploitation, trafficking and other forms of abuse.
Barrister Shittu urged parents to avoid deciding their children’s future without proper guidance, encouraging them to allow their children to discover their interests and career paths while providing the necessary support and direction.
The Managing Partner of Gracefield Chamber, Barrister Amaka Agianpuge, who spoke on understanding the legal framework against sexual and gender-based violence, described insults, threats, intimidation, manipulation, blackmail, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, child marriage and harmful widowhood practices as forms of emotional abuse with serious legal consequences.
She explained that the law did not excuse violence because it occurred within a family, stressing that cases of sexual and gender-based violence carried legal consequences for offenders and that survivors had rights to confidentiality, legal representation, justice, shelter and protection from further harm.
Barrister Agianpuge urged victims to prioritise their safety by immediately reporting incidents to the nearest police station, seeking prompt medical attention, contacting the appropriate Domestic and Sexual Violence response agencies and obtaining legal assistance without succumbing to intimidation or pressure to withdraw genuine complaints.
She noted that survivors were entitled to protection and support under the law.
Barrister Agianpuge concluded by calling on witnesses and members of the public to report incidents of violence rather than shield offenders, warning that protecting perpetrators only fuelled abuse and denied survivors access to justice.
To sustain the awareness campaign beyond the legal clinic, participants selected 10 community representatives who would take the message to various communities across Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area, educating residents on domestic and sexual and gender-based violence while encouraging early reporting and community action against abuse.
Egungun Women Leader for Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area, Chief Silifat Adebayo, who was selected as one of the 10 community representatives to educate residents and support survivors, said in an exclusive interview with the Eagle Newsmedia that the training was indeed an eye-opener, describing it as insightful and impactful.
She noted that the session broadened her understanding of the consequences of all forms of violence and strengthened her commitment to work with relevant authorities, including the police, to ensure perpetrators are brought to book.
Chief Adebayo added that with her new knowledge, she would no longer support the settling of cases involving criminal acts within families, but would ensure proper reporting and collaboration with appropriate bodies to help the government eradicate violence and injustice in the community.
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In an exclusive interview with journalists, the Programme Coordinator of the Women Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), Mrs. Precious Eberechukwu, said the continuous training of residents and community leaders is aimed at equipping them with knowledge of their legal rights and helping them identify when those rights are violated.
She explained that this informed ActionAid Nigeria’s decision to support the project, adding that the training has significantly increased awareness of gender-based violence, with more survivors now coming forward to speak about their experiences.
According to her, WRAHP has also intensified community campaigns and radio jingles to ensure wider dissemination of information on the prevention of gender-based violence and the protection of human rights.
She stressed that the organisation’s ultimate goal is to build a just society where women, girls, and men can fully realise their rights and achieve their full potential.
