As part of efforts to provide qualitative care for survivors of sexual assault and related gender based violence, five shelters have been inaugurated in Cross River State, Southern Nigeria.
These shelters otherwise known as Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) have been designed and equipped to provide medical, legal, social and other services including care relevant for the recovery and reintegration of the survivors.
One referral centre amongst the five is located in Calabar Municipality, while another has been situated in Bakassi local government area and the others strategically sited within Yakurr, Ikom as well as Ogoja local government areas.
The shelter in Calabar was officially launched by the wife of the Cross River governor, Dr. Linda Ayade represented by the Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Janet Ekpenyong in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation known as Heartland Alliance Limited.
A challenge over
In a speech, Ayade acknowledged that the challenge of providing shelters for survivors of gender based violence would be over because the centres are intended to serve as one-stop shops.
She said: “We are really excited to have these shelters in Cross River State. for a long time the challenge has been how to provide survivors with a safe place to stay away from their abusers and it was worrisome that before now no safe spaces were established.
“But, the fact that survivors now know that there are safe spaces, centre where they can seek help and the care providers would be there to connect them with doctors, nurses, legal practitioners, police, Human Right Commission, psychologist and others is highly commendable,” Mrs. Ayade stated.
She expressed hope that Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) survivors, who seek shelter at the centres, would get the support needed to overcome the trauma, get justice as well as properly reintegrate into the society.
Collective Approach
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the governor on Women Affairs, Dr. Gertrude Njar described the prevalence of sexual assault as a global pandemic, which required the collective approach of concerned people to eliminate.
Njar said: “In Cross River–State, we are tackling Gender Based Violence especially sexual assaults hook line and sinker. We are determined in Cross River State to end SGBV because besides women and girls, men and boys also suffer these attacks.
“It is heartwarming to know that the governor’s wife, Dr. Linda Ayade is at the forefront in the fight to end all forms of GBV in our dear state. I must say here that a lot of the cases that have passed through the Ministry of Women Affairs have been prosecuted and convictions received in favour of the survivors,” she stated.
Similarly, the State Team Lead of Heartland Alliance Limited, the partners in the battle to eliminate sexual assault, Dr. Lawrence Ajayi said that the centre was established as a one-stop shop in line with the organization’s objectives to “prevent, reduce and manage cases of violence against key populations.”
According to Ajayi, “the centres will provide confidential, medical and practical support can be provided to survivors of sexual and gender based violence in an environment free of stigma and discrimination.”
He noted that the centres have the relevant personnel needed to offer the services survivors need round the clock.
