Nigerian women endure significant social injustices, including pervasive violence against them. Despite being one of the largest demographics,, their plight remains inadequately addressed both by governmental and individual responses. Gender-based violence, primarily targeting women and girls, escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated by measures to contain the virus.
The consequences of gender-based violence are profound, impacting both women and society as a whole. A recent study by the Nigerian Ministry of Women Affairs and the United Nations Population Fund revealed alarming statistics: 28% of Nigerian women aged 25-29 have experienced physical violence since age 15, with 15% reporting incidents within the preceding 12 months. Common forms of violence against Nigerian women include sexual harassment, harmful traditional practices, physical and emotional abuse, socio-economic violence, and violence in conflict situations.
In response to this crisis, the Nigerian government passed the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act in 2015 after a decade-long advocacy effort. This legislation aims to eliminate outdated legal provisions related to violence against women and girls, such as rape and assault and improve upon existing laws. However, for the VAPP Act to effectively protect Nigerian women, it requires full adoption and implementation by all states across the country.
This training manual addresses the adoption and implementation of the VAPP Act across six chapters. It begins by contextualizing gender-based violence as a human rights issue, introduces the VAPP Act, outlines reasons for state adoption and examines associated challenges. The manual then analyses the provisions of the VAPP Act, compares them with previous laws, discusses traditional dispute resolution methods and advocates for increased activism to ensure nationwide adoption and enforcement of the law.
The Joint EU-UN Spotlight Initiative, supported by organisations like Stand To End Rape Initiative (STER), plays a major role in sustaining advocacy efforts to ensure the comprehensive adoption and implementation of laws protecting Nigerian women from violence.
Download the training manual on how to implement the VAPP law below.