SGBV: Study Shows Heightened Scourge among Girls

Despite several interventions, including legal instruments like the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act to curb Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), the menace has continued to increase in the country.

This is according to the findings of a new study titled: 'Adolescent Girls and SGBV in Nigeria: Policy Issues and Perspectives'.

The research being a PhD thesis conducted among adolescent girls in Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo State capital also identified poor response by health providers to cases of abuse, as being strengthening culture of silence amongst survivors.

It noted that this has further emboldened perpetrators of abuse across the country.

Speaking during a programme to disseminate study findings, the author who is a PhD student at University of Basel, Switzerland,Olutoyin Ikuteyijo averred that the stage of adolescence remained a challenging one for girls, given vulnerability from their gender and status as young persons.

The World Health Organisation(WHO) recognised violence as a major challenge of adolescent girls, which according to it, girls between ages 15-19 suffer Intimate partner violence most.

The study also blamed increasing incidents on poorly equipped frontliners and delayed justice,while drawing attention to manners of abuse girls suffer, including threat of rituals.

Ikuteyijo said the reality on ground required the government to pay special attention to this age-group considering their naivety and vulnerability.

To overcome the menace, she called for special budget for gender units across government agencies. "The agencies devoted to this cause are not sufficiently equipped, this is why cases mostly don't end in favour of survivors. Besides, we need government to invest in shelter, other than orphanage homes. The is important so that when a breadwinner is jailed, a survivor's safety is assured.”