Group Rallies Stakeholders Against Gender, Sexual-Based Violence in Nigeria

An NGO, Alliance for Africa (AfA), has called on stakeholders to form a strong synergy and take concerted efforts to stamp out Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual-Based Violence (SBG) in the country.

The Programmes Officer of the NGO, Faith Kalagbor, made the call during a Strategic Meeting on the Popularisation of the “Kpoturum” Web Application Amongst Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and State Actors in Enugu and Ebonyi States held in Enugu on Saturday.

The “Kpoturum” App is a technological reporting tool for documenting cases of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), which included GBV and SBV, in South-East, Nigeria, launched in December 2021.

Kalagbor said that the issue of case management of VAWG was such that not only one CSO or government agency/ministry/office cannot handle alone.

According to her, there is a need for collaboration to get justice for victims by using specialty and strength of each of the stakeholders and ensuring elimination of duplication and fostering greater synergy.

“We are also looking at the CSOs and government agency/ministry/office being avenues for reporting of GBV and SBV cases as well as them helping to document vital information on acts of GBV and SBV to the Kpoturum App.

“We want to popularise the app among CSOs and government agencies/ministries/offices for them to further step the knowledge and function of the app down to other members of the society, neighbourhoods and families.

 “Our NGO has introduced a toll-free line for reporting cases of GBV and SBV for people who cannot access the app.

"The toll-free line is written on the app, our website, distributed orally and through our social media platforms.”

Speaking, Nneka Ajie, Zonal Commander, National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), Enugu Zonal Command, said that the Kpoturum App is a laudable programme meant to be a game changer in the fight against GBV and SBV.

Ajie noted that the App would facilitate the emancipation of women and girls from various from of oppression and inhuman treatments, adding that NAPTIP would give full support to the technological innovation.

“The app has a lot of roles to play. It will help in reporting, identifying victims, documenting evidence, eye-witnessing, providing real-time evidence for prosecution and conviction of offenders in court.

“The app will definitely help NAPTIP to minimise or reduce the incidences of violence against women and girl-child at all spheres of the society or social interactions,” the commander said.

The Executive Director of Heroine Women Foundation, Onyinye Mamah, said that the CSOs would continue to push and see that government at all levels get more committed to ending GBV and SBV.

Mamah said that the CSOs within Enugu and Ebonyi States had resolved to create more awareness on the use of the ‘Kpoturum’ App in their localities and homes.

“We have resolved to break the culture of silence among women and girls who are victims of GBV and SBV as well as ensure that offenders are dealt with to serve as deterrent to others.

“Kpoturum App will strengthen our fight against GBV and SBV as well as help us to recruit more young and vibrant people, who are digital-friendly, to push the fight to higher levels,” she said.