LIFE Embaks On Dissemination  Workshop On Gender Base Violence

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the event was held on 9th October,2025 at Vantage Hub, Moseola House, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos.

The epoch event was attended by stakeholders in the GBV project including the representatives of the Nigerian Police, Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse, People with disabilities, NGOs, Neighbourhood watch, Media, OPD, Mirable center and among others.

The One Day Dissemination Event was held with the theme:

SCALING UP LEADERSHIP OF FEMALE SURVIVORS FOR EFFECTIVE GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (GBV) RESPONSE AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN OSHODI-ISOLO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, LAGOS.

The programme officer, Mrs. Mokwe, explained that this disemination event has marked the end of the 32 months programming embarked on by LIFE which centered on the mission of empowering young people and vulnerable communities with general health information and life skills for self-actualization, has presented a review of its projects on gender-based violence (GBV), female genital mutilation (FGM) and maternal morbidity in Lagos particularly in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area.

She stated that the projects was implemented with support from the African Women Development Fund (AWDF) and is a 32-month project aimed at amplifying the voices of female survivors to strengthen the response to gender-based violence in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria.

Mrs. Oluwatoyin Mokwe explained that  the initiative seeks to improve protection mechanisms for women and girls against sexual and gender-based violence through the provisions of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act of 2015.

She stated that the project empowers community advocates to promote awareness of legal protections against rape, female genital mutilation, domestic violence, and trafficking, particularly in underserved grassroots communities through targeted training and advocacy.

Mrs Mokwe had stated:

“The goal of the project is to increase community-level protection and accountability by training 80 community champions drawn from local groups and institutions to understand the VAPP law and serve as peer educators. These champions will conduct knowledge transfer sessions to reach 8,000 community members across Oshodi-Isolo. The project also aims to enhance collaboration between community members, law enforcement, and key government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice and the Nigeria Police and religious leaders. “

She disclosed that LIFE has printed and distributed 5,000 copies of the Lagos State domestic violence law in simplified language to boost accessibility and understanding at the grassroots level. Aswell  conducted successful advocacy visits to stakeholders at the Ministry of Justice, local government authorities, and police divisions in Ijeshatedo, Ago-Okota, Isolo, Ilasamaja, and Itire, all in Lagos State, stating that through direct intervention, “over 30 survivors have been successfully rescued, more than 20 arrests have been made in response to reported cases, and psychosocial support has been provided to over 50 survivors of gender-based violence.”

She noted that sexual violence remains one of the major drivers of unwanted pregnancies, contributing significantly to unsafe abortions and maternal morbidity. She stated that while LIFE’s efforts have led to an increase in reported cases of gender-based violence over the years, challenges remain, adding that “survivors continue to face stigma and re-traumatization not only from perpetrators but also from neighbours, landlords, and community members.

“This reflects a deeply entrenched culture of silence, stigma, and victim-blaming that must be addressed through sustained awareness and cultural transformation,” she stated.

Programme research analyst, Dr Toriola Femi-Adebayo, spoke on the research findings and recommendations on the project which center on more Sensitization, access to Justice,  empowerment, disemination of information and stakeholders more involvement to eradicate stigma and ensure Justice for both the survivors and the perpetrators.