EU-UN, partners inaugurate National Gender-Based Violence Accountability Framework 

In Africa, women and girls are vulnerable to physical, sexual or psychological abuse that cuts across lines of income, class, and culture.

To curb these menace, in one of the activities to commemorate the ongoing 16 days of activism against sexual and gender-based violence, FRED with support from EU-UN Spotlight Initiative under United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs has Inaugurated the National Gender-Based Coordination Platform and unveiled the National Gender-Based Violence Accountability Framework, in Abuja Nigeria’s capital.

The Accountability Framework is an essential element in fulfilling the goal of the implementation of laws, policies and action plans‐ to ensure that every partner plays their role in ensuring the rights and needs of women and girls are met.

The GBV Accountability Framework, developed in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Women Affairs with support from UNDP EU-UN Spotlight Initiative through FRED, provides a Roadmap for all partners from the National and sub-national level to take action for a sustained, strengthened and coordinated national GBV response.

The National Gender Based Violence GB, Accountability Framework provides a guide for all partners, from service providers to NGOs/CSOs and government agencies and donors, on the steps they can take to combat VAWGs within their mandates.

The EU Project Manager, Human Rights and Gender Democracy, Governance and Migration Section, Esme Stuart explained EU’s line up activities to raise awareness on GBV.

“We are also meeting with actors to make sure that whatever happens is being coordinated . And make sure that we know which stake holders are responsible for what responses given to GBV cases. There is coordination mechanism at national level, state level and we see that these activities can strengthen so that everyone knows their roles and plays there part. The EU is also providing funding for Spotlight initiatives that 7s been implemented by the UN. There are five different part of the UN organizations that are part of this spot light initiative they work together with CSOs partners and ministry of women Affairs and other national stakeholders to implement this programme” Stuart said.

According to UNDP Gender and Human right analyst and Spotlight project manager. Onyinye Indubisi “Gender Based Violence GBV, cannot be eradicated without lifting poverty within women and girls, and cannot be eradicated without education, education can be formal and informal, under UNDP intervention, we are starting with review policies that serves the interest of women and girls. Policies that we see that are giving us bottled neck to implement, even at the grass roots level we are unbounding for people to understand how to put the policy in to action, is not to develop policy but make people understand what the policy says, and that’s what UNDP is doing. UNDP is working with FRED and other partners to anchor on that”.

The Permanent Secretary, Minister of Women Affairs represented by Mr. Mohammed Idris said that “ Prior to this time, Nigeria lacks the accountability frame work to ensure that all partners at all level priorities violence against women and girls gender based violence and create and implement scale up responses that better address women and children’s right and needs as attained in our clients. The national gender based violence was established in 2018, however it was in active until 2021, when it held its first meeting after three years. This event was organized by Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with FRED, with funding from EU spotlight initiative.

Adding that “the GBV Coordination Mechanism will strengthen the Ministry of Women’s Affairs mandate to coordinate GBV response in Nigeria. The platform is to convey a clear message to all stakeholders on their role and responsibilities while at the same time bringing them on the table to discuss issues and gaps in GBV response, address challenges provide the way forward on different level. This platform will strengthen the reporting on partnership activities implemented on sharing data. This will provide evidence and relevant information policy formation, review and gender based violence programing.

The National accountability frame work having gone through different process and stages of development we are today inaugurating the coordination platform for response in the country with significant impact of human right if women and girls”.

By taking on the actions in the Framework, the End VWGs response will consistently dedicate on‐the-ground efforts to mitigate VAWGs risks and deliver comprehensive, quality services for women and girls.

UNDP is implementing Spotlight Initiative in Nigeria, working with partners to strengthen institutions, policies and data availability to end violence against women and girls.