Unveils prevention policy, seeks enhanced legal, rights protection

Lagos State Government has called for a fundamental shift in the fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), saying the greatest victory would be to prevent violence from occurring rather than simply becoming better at responding to reported cases.

The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, spoke yesterday at the National Convening of Gender-Based Violence State Coordinators in Lagos, where the state launched its Gender-Based Violence Prevention Policy.

The governor said the policy marked a deliberate move from a predominantly reactive approach to one that addresses the attitudes, behaviours and social conditions that enable violence.

According to him, while receiving complaints, protecting survivors, providing medical and psychological support, investigating cases and pursuing justice remain essential, government and society must also confront what happens before violence occurs.

Sanwo-Olu said the responsibility for preventing GBV extends beyond government to families, schools, traditional and religious institutions, the media, private sector, civil society organisations and communities.

He stressed that survivors must be able to access safety, care, justice, healing and restoration without encountering institutional barriers, adding: “When a survivor reaches out for help, there must not be a wall between such a person and justice. There must be a pathway to safety, care, justice and, ultimately, to healing and restoration.”

The governor noted that Lagos State had made significant investments in strengthening its response mechanisms, survivor support, access to justice, public awareness and prevention programmes, but said that the state must now focus on preventing the next case rather than only responding to the last one.

Similarly, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) yesterday called for enhanced legal and rights protection mechanisms for people living with HIV and survivors of GBV, warning that stigma, discrimination, violence and denial of services could undermine efforts to prevent and control HIV in the state.

Chief Executive Officer of LSACA, Dr Folakemi Animashaun, made the call at the conclusion of a two-day legal and rights protection training organised by the agency for GBV focal persons, service providers and linkage officers, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, at the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Lagos.

Animashaun said the intersection of GBV, HIV-related stigma and discrimination required coordinated action among government institutions, law enforcement agencies, healthcare and service providers, community organisations and other stakeholders.