ENUGU — Professor Joy Ezeilo has associated the increasing rate of sexual and gender-based violence, SGBV, in Nigeria to the patriarchal nature of her society fueled by victims being trapped with their abusers during the covid19 lockdown.
Speaking in Enugu during the maiden press week of NOA NUJ chapel, Ezeilo, founder of Women’s Aid Collective, WACOL, called on the secondary school students and other participants present not to feel inferior because of their gender.
“In Nigeria large number of women are regularly subjected to violence in the family and communities; this situation is exacerbated by the deeply patriarchal societies that socialize men to view women as subordinate and inferior to men and which promotes male sexuality and power associated with masculinity,” Ezeilo said.
Ezeilo further pinpointed the failure of the law enforcement agents, the Police in response, investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators of SGBV related cases as an obstacle in addressing the scourge of violence in society.
The spike in SGBV/VAWG both during covid19 lockdown and post covid19 lockdown clearly undermine the UN declaration to eliminate all forms of violence against women;
“From April – June 2020 during the Lockdown, WACOL received and responded to a total number of 226 reported cases of violence against women and girls. Some of these cases included domestic violence, spousal battery, threats to life, rape and defilement, abandonment, and forceful ejection,” the WACOL chief revealed.
“With my more than two decades experience working as a Women Human Rights Defender, WHRD, I foresaw a rise in cases of Violence Against Women and Girls, VAWG, as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown,” Prof Ezeilo reiterated.
“Post COVID-19 lockdown, WACOL received and handled more than 500 cases of SGBV/VAWG bringing the total cases for the year 2020 to 732.”
“From January to June 30, 2021, we have attended to additional 375 cases this is evidence that the epidemic within COVID-19 pandemic is continuing,” she said.
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