Non-governmental organizations in Nigeria have called for timely, speedy, and effective implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJ) and Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Laws in Bauchi, Benue, Enugu, Kaduna, and Osun States.
The NGOs under the auspices of the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence SGBV Justice Network Cluster made the call at the end of a two-day training of cluster members and stakeholders on Policy Review and Analysis, towards Consolidating Advocacy for Effective Justice Delivery for Survivors of SGBV in Nigeria, held in Abuja
The Cluster which was anchored by Lawyers Alert was made up of the Ikra Foundation for Women and Youth Development (IFYWD), Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), League of Women Voters, Nigeria (NILOWV), Community Advancement Initiative for Self-Reliance (CAI4SR), Agbani Farms Ltd as well as Legal Awareness for Nigerian Women (LANW).
The President of Lawyers Alert, Mr. Rommy Mom said the SJN Cluster was pushing for full implementation of the VAPP and ACJ Laws, with a view to seeing the laws being very effective in the five project states of Bauchi, Benue, Enugu, Kaduna, and Osun.
Mr. Mom, who was represented by the Director of Programmes, Ms. Jerome, Uneje, emphasized the need to have adequately funded Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARCs) as well as the need for the judiciary to designate some courts for the hearing of SGBV cases, in addition to setting aside some days for the courts to hear SGBV cases.
The Cluster which noted the prevalence of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) cases in Nigeria is working to curb incidents of SGBV as well as strengthen the implementation of VAPP and ACJ laws towards ensuring speedy justice delivery for survivors of SGBV in the project states.
The Cluster listed cultural/religious beliefs, ineffective implementation of laws/policies, and limited access to justice for survivors/victims, as challenges that undermine interventions at eradicating SGBV.
It observed that Nigerian women aged 25-29 had experienced some form of physical violence since age 15, with the common acts of violence in Nigeria being sexual harassment, harmful traditional practices, and emotional, physical, psychological, and socio-economic violence.
This way, Mom said there would be accelerated hearing for such cases and speedy justice delivery for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.