We're delighted to share this latest piece of research produced by Her Dream Initiative, an organisation founded by Thrive Law Changer Heritage Sanmi-Lawal, that works to empower and advocate for the rights of women and girls. The directory details a comprehensive, state-by-state list of domestic violence centers and responders across all 36 states in Nigeria; an indispensable resource for those affected by domestic abuse and violence in the country. The team at Her Dream Initiative have kindly shared the following message for members of the Thrive community:
Domestic Violence is one of the most pervasive and degrading forms of ill-treatment against an individual. It can be physical, emotional, economic or verbal. It can also happen to any individual irrespective of the gender. However, research has shown that women and children are most vulnerable to domestic violence. In the 1st quarter of 2022 alone, 335 cases were recorded [1], a larger percent evolving to femicide in Nigeria. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Nigeria has experienced a rise in reported cases and this may be due to the awareness that has been created in identifying domestic abuse [2]. This could also be due to the rise in number of non-governmental organisations that ensure justice is being served. These responders have emboldened women to speak up when they are being abused as opposed to dying in silence [3].
Her Dream Initiative launched this directory to join forces in combating domestic violence in all parts of Nigeria. We hope to continue highlighting domestic violence as a crime, in hopes that leaders and policymakers will acknowledge it too and enforce laws in that regard. The DV Responders Directory was launched to make help available for any individual being domestically abused in Nigeria. This directory contains contact information of these organisations and experts, as well as the service they provide. Services provided range from legal aid to provision of shelters while some have toll-free lines to call and special USSD codes or apps that immediately connect callers to responders. This information was gathered by relying on online resources and data gathered while engaging with social workers and responders across Nigeria. Furthermore, this directory will be updated annually to create awareness of new centers.
The directory can be downloaded by following this link: https://bit.ly/3FG3x1n
Or scan the QR Code;
References
[1] 'Nigeria Records 335 SGBV Cases From January to April 2022', humanglemedia.com
[2] 'Pattern of rape and femicide during COVID-19 lockdown: content and discourse analysis of digital media reports in Nigeria', Michael O. Ogunlana, Ifeoma B. Nwosu, Abiola Fafolahan, Bose F. Ogunsola, Toluwatomi M. Sodeke, Opeyemi Mercy Adegoke, Nse A. Odunaiya & Pragashnie Govender
[3] '2,334 domestic violence cases in four months worrisome – Lagos govt', punchng.com
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