The organisations will bring together private sector leaders tomorrow, May 11, 2023 in Ikoyi, Lagos, to forge significant partnership towards sustainable initiatives to end GBV in work places and society.
Founder/Chairperson of WISCAR, Amina Oyagbola, said the menace had been a long-standing issue in Nigeria, which heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She said that reports showed that Nigeria experienced a 60 per cent increase in GBV cases during the pandemic, with women and girls being the most affected.
According to her, this pervasive scourge undermines the productivity of individuals and businesses, as well as hindering economic development and perpetuating social inequalities.
Also, the UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, said the effects of GBV are staggering, noting that the realisation has spurred international donors and governments to set structures in place to combat it.
“More needs to be done and with this in mind, we are working in partnership with WISCAR and with support from the European Union to establish the first Private Sector Led Gender-Based Violence Fund in Nigeria and West and Central Africa,” she stated.
She expressed optimism that the fund will shore up existing funding gaps that have impeded the fight against gender-based violence in Nigeria.
