Traditional leaders in Lagos State have been challenged by the state government to use their position to help end sexual, gender, and domestic abuse.
Thursday in Lagos, Nigeria, Mrs. Titilola Viviour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), issued the recommendation.
She talked to the traditional rulers at a roundtable about sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) that lasted one day.
Viviour-Adeniyi asked the traditional rulers to use the proactive methods and procedures used by the state government to make sure that SGBV was eliminated or at least kept to a minimum in the state, if not completely eliminated.
She said that their participation was important because SGBV is so common in society and needs a prompt response.
”In the context of preventing and ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, traditional rulers are one of the strategic groups that must be considered, because our Royal Majesties, the custodians of our culture, have access to different segments of the population, including those who are marginalised and harder to reach.
”In many regions of the world, traditional rulers, by virtue of their long-standing presence and service in diverse communities, have come to command the trust and respect of the local population.
”We understand that in certain instances, traditional rulers sometimes serve as the first port of call immediately after a case of domestic or sexual violence occurs.
”Certain times, such cases end up being ‘resolved’ at the palaces, without adhering to the state government’s referral pathway,” she said.
According to her, this lack of adherence to government referral procedure, thus, supports the culture of impunity since perpetrators are not held legally accountable for their actions, even as survivors are not able to obtain holistic support.
”It is, therefore, of utmost importance that traditional rulers are promptly and regularly engaged on these issues, their role in preventing and responding to incidents reported and most importantly, the need to have an interface with government,” she said.
According to Vivour-Adeniyi, 4,860 incidents were reported to the agency last year through the VRRS and in person.
She mentioned a wide range of incidents, including those involving domestic violence, rape, lack of parental care, a threat to life, sexual assault via penetration, emotional abuse, neglect, and abandonment of children.
There were 2,710 adult cases and 2,150 child cases, the executive secretary stated, demonstrating that SGBV against women and young girls was especially severe in crisis situations.
Mrs. Omolola Rotimi, Administrator-General, Public Trustee, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, stated in her presentation that the law needed to be in place to protect people from individuals on the problem of SGBV.
Rotimi argued that the prevalence of SGBV may be reduced if more individuals learned to speak out against it.
Emmanuel Oladele, president of the Nigerian Association of Marriage Administrators and Counselors, has called for the participation of everyone in society, from the powerful to the powerless, in efforts to reduce the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
Unless doing so would be against principles of natural justice, equity, or good conscience, Oladele urged traditional leaders to bring the full force of their norms and traditions to bear on those responsible for SGBV.
Odo-Ayandelu Kingdom’s Oba Asumo Abdul-Ganiyu Aderibigbe praised the state government for its work to reduce SGBV in Ikosi-Ejinrin, Epe.
When incidents of sexual assault and/or domestic violence (SGBV) were reported, Aderibigbe urged the police to always respond correctly.
”We are glad to have this kind of training today, it imparts more knowledge on us, so that we can go back to our various communities and educate the people the more.
”There are some cases we can treat in the palace and there are some that are criminal. We don’t have to harbour or indulge people that involve in violence or criminal activities. We have to expose them,” he said.
