Women in Nigeria are still at risk of various forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), as the country recorded over 27,000 cases in five states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) between 2020 and 2023.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, gave this disturbing data in November at a press conference to kickstart 16 days of activism against gender-based violence (GBV), observed annually from 25 November to 10 December.
This follows her recent revelation that about 25,000 GBV cases were recorded across the country in one month, from September to 3 October 2023, giving a strong indication of an incessant increase in cases.
As a signatory to the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol, Nigeria’s failure to domesticate and implement its provisions has continued to pose devastating consequences on girls and women in the country.
