At the invictus Africa Womanity Index (GBV) 2023 Report on Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) unveiling in Abuja on Monday, the former first lady of Ekiti state made this demand. The report was produced in collaboration with the Ford Foundation and the BudgIT Foundation.
The report offers a thorough evaluation of the 36 state governments in Nigeria as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in relation to their pledges to stop and address gender-based violence (GBV) and foster an environment that is safe and welcoming for all.
Fayemi contends that it is imperative to shun any detrimental customs that diminish the humanity of women and the flourishing impunity culture that is based on the intimidation and shame of survivors, which prevents them from accessing the legal system.
"The time for them is over. The idea of unalienable human rights is incompatible with practices such as widow abuse, female genital mutilation, underage marriage, male preference, depriving women of their inheritance, and so forth.
"Gender stereotypes and mindsets that assign a lower status to girls and women, as well as patriarchal norms, attitudes, and beliefs that normalize physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence, must also be checked."
Women's empowerment and gender equality are still top priorities. Addressing the systemic causes of violence against women and girls requires women to be economically empowered, educated, and fully and equally involved in public and political life. Says she.
She bemoaned the dreadfully poor application and enforcement of GBV legislation in the nation, noting that this situation has led to a culture of impunity that has become entrenched.
"There are still a lot of gaps and difficulties, and we should all be concerned about the institutional capacity we lack to uphold laws and policies.
"Implementation is made extremely difficult by inadequate implementation frameworks, unreliable data, a lack of financial, technical, material, and human resources, a lack of cohesion and coordination, a lack of analysis and research, a lack of continuity, and many other factors."
Regardless of the availability of donor financing, Fayemi urged state governors to create Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARC) in their respective jurisdictions.
GBV survivors require assistance in order to make decisions that will empower them. To make this happen, we thus need a GBV Survivors' Fund. Over 500 women in Ekiti State have benefited from this fund while they look for new housing, go back to school, or launch a business.
"Because mental health and GBV are linked, we need to invest in our mental health infrastructure in addition to resources for the treatment of GBV survivors."
However, according to the report also released by Fayemi Abia, the states of Ekiti, Imo, and Lagos were each deemed "Blue States" under the Laws and Policies Index because they had put in place strong legal frameworks that criminalize GBV and banned customs and religious practices that support it.
The states have, over an eight-year period, undertaken persistent and fruitful efforts to strengthen and modify laws, policies, and customs related to GBV prevention and response, according to the report.