Spotlighting NGOs Working to Help Survivors of Gender-Based Violence
Photo by Eye for Ebony on Unsplash by Ifeoluwa Ogunjobi Victims and survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) suffer devastating short- and long-term consequences to their physical and mental health. These Consequences may include severe physical injuries, unwanted pregnancies and exposure to HIV or other sexually transmitted infections, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the limited ability to complete daily tasks, suicidal thoughts among others. To put an end to GBV, it is important that frontline response and intervention facilities for victims, as well as safe spaces for survivors, are made available. This should be led by the government but in most scenarios, civil society organizations lead the charge on helping women. In commemoration of the #16DaysOfActivism against gender-based violence, here are ten organizations providing response, intervention and safe spaces to victims and Survivors of GBV. Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF): Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) Centre is a fully equipped facility run by friendly, qualified staff who serve as first responders and efficiently determine the extent of services that will be required by each survivor, in a warm, caring and safe environment. The center serves as a safe haven where each survivor is helped in a step by step approach through the initial traumatic phase of their experience and the necessary follow-up visits. All services are free. Hotline: 08092100009, 080072732255 Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER): Stand to End Rape Initiative is a youth-led social enterprise commited to advocating against sexual violence, developing and providing prevention mechanisms, and supporting survivors with psychosocial services. They specialize in advocating for rape survivors by enlightening communities and the public on the need to end rape, stigmatization and victim-blaming. Hotline: 08095967000 Sexual Offences Awareness & Victims Rehabilitation Initiative (SOAR): SOAR is a non- profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to the prevention of all forms of child sexual abuse as well as provide care and support for victims and survivors. Hotline: 08179080655 ‘Tiwalola’ Women against Rape Sexual Harassment and Exploitation (WARSHE): WARSHE is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization that provides human, material and emotional support for victims of rape, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation; assist victims of rape, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation to obtain justice; and educate girls and women on the subject of rape, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation. Hotline: 08034078730 Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP): WRAHP is an innovative non-governmental non-profit organization that is committed to the promotion of reproductive health, rights and general development of women, young people and communities. The Ireti Resource Centre is an Initiative of WRAHP, specially developed to provide integrated legal and psychosocial support in a safe space for women, survivors of domestic violence, and other vulnerable persons across communities in Lagos State. Helpline: 07003333111, 07011948577 Partnership for Justice: Partnership for Justice is a non-profit organization of professionals who share a commitment to equality, justice and globalization of human rights standards. Partnership for Justice works at all levels to offer services to victims of human rights violations and create linkages for the promotion and protection of human rights in Nigeria. Hotline: 08125152683 Women Safe House Sustenance Initiative: Women Safe House Sustenance Initiative is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating women and girls from all forms of gender based violence in Nigeria. Providing shelter, legal aid, healthcare and comprehensive services to women and girls of all ages who are survivors of rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, child marriage and sex trafficking. Hotline: 08112663348 Project Alert: The Support Services Programme of Project Alert renders practical support to female victims of violence and their families. Advocating for zero tolerance to all forms of violence against women/young girls; and providing practical support services to female victims of violence. Hotline: 01-8209387 International Federation for Women Lawyers in Nigeria (FIDA): FIDA Nigeria is a non-profit, non-political, voluntary association of women called to the practice of law in Nigeria. FIDA Nigeria’s sole objective is to protect, promote and preserve the rights of women and children in Nigeria. FIDA Nigeria is committed to providing free legal representation for indigent women and children, advocacy and policy campaigns, education and training, mediation and counseling services, and publishing information resources. Hotline: 07088496115 Dorothy Njemanze Foundation: Dorothy Njemanze Foundation (DNF) works to end sexual and gender based violence through direct support for survivors, we promote basic ethics and values in the society by encouraging social responsibility, orientation and reorientation, addressing abuse related issues with the aim of aiding healing and re-integrating victims; Inspiring attitudinal change thereby reducing incidences to the barest minimum. Hotline: 07013333307 *** Building and developing response mechanisms and victim/survivor oriented facilities are key to eradicating gender based violence across all States in Nigeria. Do you know any other organization working to help survivors of violence? Share their information with us. 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Here Comes the Bride 3
Nollywood actor, Foluke Daramola, campaigns against domestic violence.Image: Kokolife Iniabasi look her husband wit corner eye as he dey sleep. Ukeme just dey roll up and dan like say spirit dey purshoo am. She don bone tire! Why dis her mumu husband dey snore like olden days Volkswagen? Ha ahn! One day, she go fit carry pillow press press im head make he for quiet! Ah ahn! As if Ukeme know wetin she dey tink, he turn im nyash face her come release one kine mess wey smell pass egg wey done rotten. De mess go straight go her face like say na wetin in bin dey target. She slap am wit one mind! ‘Your papa! Why you go mess for my face?! You dey mad ne?’ Ukeme wake up with vex. Dis time, she no even prepare herself before he start dey blow blow her. As he dey beat her, he follow dey bite her for her neck, for her breast, for her belle, and for her lap. After he done swell up her body well well, he tear the remaining cloth wey for dey her body come dey drag her for ground. Deir neighbors bin don tire for their fights so tey nobody even comot from their flat. Na so he drag her body for their compound till them reach outside. As people gather dey laugh, he pour spit for her face come waka dey go. Like say something push am, he turn back, waka come her place, open in trouser, comot in prick, come start dey piss for her body. All de agberos wen dey her area come dey laugh dey hail Ukeme. Na den she faint. *** Iniabasi Unwana was the first of 8 children in a family that was piss poor! Her father was a mean mechanic who spent whatever money he made on Ogogoro. He drank so much that his natural odor was the stench of stale alcohol. They lived in a one-room apartment where they literally had to sleep like sardines. Her mother seemed to give birth every 10 months, such that at Iniabasi’s 8th birthday, she had 7 siblings. Her father didn’t hit them but her mother more than made up for that. What her father did though was…nothing! He didn’t pay bills, he didn’t provide money for food, he never sent any of his kids to school and he definitely didn’t work…much. Her mother on the other hand worked enough for 10 people. She was a street cleaner between the hours of 6 and 7am and a maid for an Alhaja from 8am to 5pm. When she got home, it was to begin her business as an Akara seller at the motor park. She would do this until about 10pm before returning home. Even with what she did, she was only able to raise enough to ensure that her kids ate and wore the cheapest clothes. She paid the rent also but the bulk of her money went into treatment for her ailing mother in the village and clearing her husband’s debts at different Ogogoro joints. Anyone looking at Iniabasi’s mother would never believe that she is a young woman; she looked old, tired, angry and very bitter. Iniabasi started helping out when she was 4. Her mother would prepare Akamu and it was Iniabasi’s job to hawk them on the streets. As she grew older, it fell to her to wash the beans, take them to grind in a bucket heavier than her and then peel the yams and potatoes as she waited for her mother. She would then put all of them in a truck and push them to the spot where her mother cooked. She had to do all this while taking care of her younger ones. It was on one of such days that her father returned home early. She was washing the beans when she heard a grunt behind her. She jumped, startled, as she faced the person who had made the sound. She saw her father rubbing his penis while looking at her. She was 9 but she knew that what he was doing was wrong. ‘Papa, wetin you dey do?’ she asked as she took a step back. He approached her, swaying, still rubbing his penis, and still wearing the weird look. ‘Come here. Come and take.’ Iniabasi looked behind her. She was boxed in. Her only escape route was through her father. As she contemplated what to do, Iya Kemi came out of her room with her broom held high. Iya Kemi hit her father repeatedly, with each well placed blow punctuated with a scream. ‘Neighbors! Neighbors! Make una come see abomination! Come see wetin Unwana dey do for front of im pikin oh! Aiye ma baje! Ko ni da fun e! Olori buruku! Oloshi!’ Iniabasi ran to Iya Kemi and used all her strength to try to pull her off her father. Iya Kemi wouldn’t budge. She kept hitting her father as he tried to protect himself. Neighbors from other compounds came in and men started beating Unwana. They stripped him and continued to beat him. Someone shouted, ‘Bring tire’ and out of nowhere, a tire materialized. They had just put the tire around him when sirens of an approaching police vehicle and shots fired into the air sent the crowd running. Unwana was rushed to the hospital and someone sent for her mother. When her mother came home and asked what happened, Iniabasi trembled in response. She told her mother everything and watched her expression change from worry to extreme anger. Her mother went to the door, locked it and faced her. ‘Come here. And make devil punish you today say you shout.’ Iniabasi went to her mother for what she knew was a certainty; she was about to get the beating of her life! *** That was the beginning of her daily beatings. For the slightest misdemeanor, her mother would look at her and beat her black and blue! Sometimes the neighbors helped and other times, they didn’t. Iniabasi’s body was
