By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD), IPAS Nigeria has called for the adoption and application of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act across the 36 states of the Federation.
The VAPP Act which was signed into law in 2015, is said to be the most comprehensive legal framework in Nigeria that protects the rights of persons especially women and girls against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The Act seeks to eliminate all forms of violence in both private and public life; prohibits physical, sexual, and psychological violence; domestic violence; harmful traditional practices; and discrimination against persons.
IPAS Country Director, Lucky Palmer, who stated this on the occasion of the International Women’s Day celebrations in Abuja, noted that the annual event provides an opportunity to reflect on progress made towards achieving gender equality in fulfilment of the Sustainable Development goals as well as celebrate acts of courage and determination by women who have played an extra ordinary role in the histories of their countries and communities.
According to him, this resonates with the theme for this year “Gender Equality Today, for a sustainable Tomorrow”, which is looking at Gender equality as the panacea for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal by the Nigerian Government by 2030.
Palmer pointed that although Nigeria is a signatory to most international and regional legal framework protecting the rights of women and girls, they still suffer acts of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) especially with the outrage of insurgency in the North-East region, where about four in 10 women of reproductive age have experienced physical violence since age 15.
Nationally, about 3 in every 10 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) have experienced physical violence since age 15, while 1 in 10 have experienced sexual violence (Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018).
In response to this menace, the Nigerian Government demonstrated its commitments to end Sexual and Gender Based Violence by the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in 2015.
Ipas Nigeria played a key role in the advocacy leading to the passage of the VAPP Act in Nigeria and, Jigawa State. Ipas Nigeria is also supporting other States such as Borno, Adamawa, Ogun, and Benue State, to operationalize the law, through the development of the Standards and Guidelines for the Medical Management of victims of Gender Based Violence.
IPAS said in a statement on Tuesday that till date, only about 23 States of the Country have adopted the VAPP Act, and some are yet to operationalize the VAPP Law towards ensuring victims of SGBV have access to justice and comprehensive medical services.
The statement personally signed by IPAS Country Director, said, “Bearing in mind that most vulnerable women and girls live in the rural areas, and the need to ensure that they benefit from the law; Ipas Nigeria is on this day calling on the States that are yet to adopt the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, to as a matter of urgency adopt the law so that victims of SGBV can access justice and comprehensive medical services”.
