NGO seeks support for SGBV survivors

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Global Rights Nigeria, a non-governmental and non-profit organisation, has urged healthcare workers to support survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

 

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The organisation made this appeal in a post on its official X handle @Globalrightsng on Saturday.

According to Global Rights Nigeria, SGBV survivors in Nigeria face significant challenges in accessing necessary healthcare.

“Survivors often encounter stigmatisation, victim-blaming, and unintentional blame from healthcare workers.

“For instance, healthcare workers may ask insensitive questions like “What were you wearing?” or “Why were you out late?”

The organisation noted that many healthcare workers lacked training in trauma-informed care, which was essential for supporting survivors without re-traumatising them.

“Insensitive questioning, invasive procedures, and failure to provide emotional support can exacerbate the survivors’ trauma.”

Global Rights Nigeria emphasised that the mental healthcare of survivors was often overlooked.

According to the organisation, while physical injuries are treated, emotional and psychological scars are neglected, leaving survivors without necessary follow-up care or counselling.

The organisation pointed out that some healthcare settings failed to protect survivors’ confidentiality and privacy, making it harder for them to seek help.

To better support survivors, Global Rights Nigeria appealed to healthcare workers to treat survivors with empathy and not judgment.

The organisation recommended the following changes, mandatory trauma-informed care training for all healthcare workers, expansion of mental health services to include psychological and counselling support in healthcare settings.

The organisation also recommended provision of confidential spaces for survivors to discuss their cases in all healthcare facilities.

 

NAN/Wumi

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