Women seek more participation in democracy, security

.NAPTIP opens SGBV training for police officers

Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, (WARDC) and Women for Women (W4W) International have identified social and cultural norms as barriers to women’s freedom of speech and participation in democracy and the security space in Nigeria.

This was as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) stressed the importance of training and retraining gender desk officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to enable them to effectively handle cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

Founding Director, WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the prevalence of socio-cultural norms “still affects” the ability of women to participate in peace processes in their communities and states.

She stated this, in Abuja, yesterday, at a discussion on the publication of research conducted by WARDC and W4W.
Advocacy Coordinator, W4W, Zainab Gbobaniyi, said the event was aimed at escalating the research findings.

“The research, being evidence-based and carried out in five communities in Plateau State, tells the stories directly from the women themselves,” she said.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mandate Secretary, Adebayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the direction of the present administration was towards the well-being of women, increasing their political participation and empowerment.

Speaking on issues of domestic violence and early child marriage, the research consultant for the project pointed out that “forming coalitions, working with traditional councils and working with male champions have yielded a lot of results and I think that is a very good approach.”

Director-General of NAPTIP, Prof Fatima Waziri-Azi, at a three-day workshop for Gender Desk Officers (GDOs) and Police Prosecutors organised by the agency, in collaboration with Ford Foundation and Justice Research Institute (JRI), yesterday, in Abuja, said: “Investing in comprehensive training for police officers on handling SGBV cases is essential for promoting accountability, preventing further victimisation and advancing justice for victims.”

“As the implementing agency for the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPPA) 2015 in the FCT, NAPTIP has been collaborating and would continue to collaborate with the police to ensure that incidences of domestic and sexual violence are reduced in the FCT.”

She said the police needed a broad understanding of issues around SGBV for successful prosecution.

“Police officers, especially GDOs, need continuous training to understand relevant laws, protocols and investigative techniques to gather evidence, conduct interviews and handle the legal aspects of SGBV cases effectively.”

She explained that the training was to enhance the strategic efforts of the police GDOs and prosecutors in the prevention of, response to and prosecution of SGBV cases in the FCT.

Executive Director, JRI, Ikem Isiekwena, said: “The project to strengthen the capacity of NPF and FCT SGBV response team to effectively respond to violence against women in Nigeria commenced in 2021 with support from Ford Foundation.”