The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) has joined the rest of the world to commemorate this year’s 16 days of Activism to Eliminate Gender-Based Violence which starts on 25, November 2024.
This is part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and will come to a close on 10 December, 2024 which is the International Human Rights Day.
Speaking at the flag off of the advocacy campaign held at the Oniwaya of Iwaya Palace in Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos, the Executive Secretary, Lagos Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, DSVA, Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi said that the whole essence is to leverage the international days, through the traditional rulers to close the gaps of advocacy against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in the state.
“To mark this year’s international day, the agency is partnering with the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption programme with support from the European Union and implemented by the International IDEA to engage 16 Traditional Rulers in the state to assist in the advocacy.”
She mentioned that the agency relied on data to select these kingdoms having looked at areas with high prevalence, low reportage of cases and areas that had not been engaged during the year.
“It is an opportunity for us to heightened awareness and demystify certain myths that are associated with sexual and gender-based violence. This year’s theme; ‘Towards Beijing +30: UNITE to End Violence Against Women and Girls’ is very apt with what we do at DSVA, but we thought it is expedient to use this opportunity to engage traditional rulers, because they sometimes serve as first responders and also they are the custodian of culture and you know that culture can encourage and discourage perpetration of sexual and gender-based violence in
the community. So, It is important for us to strengthen our relationship with the traditional rulers.
“We are also using these events to spotlight 16 traditional Rulers in the State for their support in the fight against SGBV.”
Vivour-Adeniyi who maintained that previous advocacy by the agency has led to increase in the formal and informal reporting cases, said the campaign train will move around the 5 divisions of Lagos and reach the nooks and crannies of the state within the 16 days as more kingdoms will be covered in the coming years.
In his remarks, the Oniwaya of Iwaya Kingdom, Oba Suleiman Owolabi Oloko, appreciated the state government and their sponsors for making his kingdom the starting point of the 16-day campaigns.
He acknowledged that the community is not impervious to the issue of domestic and sexual violence, stressing that he has on different occasions intervened in numerous reported cases of sexual and gender-based atrocities which he escalated through the Domestic and Gender Violence Agency, DSVA.
He also noted that the sensitization would go a long way to assist the residents of his
community on how to fight this scourge.”
The State Project Coordinator, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Program funded by European Union and implemented by International IDEA, Mrs Ajibola Ijimakinwa, said that it is important to get the buy-in of the traditional rulers and to also sensitise the members of the community about the dangers of sexual and Gender-based violence and to ensure the message is cascaded to other members of the community towards not reducing the scourge but to eradicate it.
