‘Women leaders key to tackling gender-based violence’

Women leaders in the health sector have been urged to take the lead in tackling gender-based violence in Nigeria by integrating response mechanisms into healthcare delivery and community engagement. This call was made on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level capacity-building workshop on gender-based violence organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the […]

Women leaders in the health sector have been urged to take the lead in tackling gender-based violence in Nigeria by integrating response mechanisms into healthcare delivery and community engagement.

This call was made on Wednesday in Abuja during a high-level capacity-building workshop on gender-based violence organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Health in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund.

Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas, said women remain central to healthcare delivery and are therefore best positioned to address gender-based violence within institutions and communities.

“Women are the backbone of the health sector. Anywhere you go, from the federal level to primary healthcare facilities, women are the ones delivering services,” she said.

According to her, women in leadership positions possess the capacity to drive transparency, accountability and impactful reforms within the sector.

“You can imagine what women will accomplish when they are placed in leadership positions. Women do much more with limited resources,” Anas said.

She stressed that the fight against gender-based violence must begin within healthcare institutions through deliberate policies, advocacy and support systems for survivors.

“This training is aimed at empowering leaders to integrate gender-based violence into routine healthcare within their institutions. We can develop policies at the federal level, but implementation rests with leaders at institutional levels,” she stated.

Anas noted that many women experience one form of harassment or discrimination during their careers, describing gender-based violence as a silent crisis affecting homes, workplaces and communities.

“There is no woman that has gone through her career without experiencing one form of gender harassment or discrimination. We have all gone through it, but we keep forging ahead,” she said.

She also called for stronger institutional structures and dedicated funding to address the menace effectively.

“The institutions must have structures for addressing issues of gender-based violence. Communities are looking up to institutions for responses,” she added.

The presidential aide further argued that excluding women from leadership and governance limits national development.

“Nigeria is working on one leg because men are working alone without women. We need balance and equity. Women are not taking over, but making their maximum contribution,” she said.

Anas also recounted a personal experience involving her daughter, who expressed a desire to study law because she felt children were often not allowed to express themselves freely at home.

“She said she wanted children to have rights in their homes and to be heard. That really touched me because it reflects what many young people experience,” she said.

She urged women leaders to take responsibility for protecting the health and rights of women and girls in their communities.

“As women leaders, you must protect the health of women. Communities are watching the impact you make, especially on the lives of the girl child,” she said.

In a keynote address, the Founder of Women in Leadership Advancement Network Global, Abosede George-Ogan, described gender-based violence as a crisis that requires urgent national attention.

“As far as I am concerned, there should be a state of emergency on gender-based violence. That is how bad it is,” she said.

George-Ogan said gender-based violence had become more pervasive with the growth of internet access and digital platforms, warning that abuse occurring offline was increasingly being replicated online.

“The internet did not create gender-based violence. It has always existed. The same people who perpetrate it offline are the same people who go online,” she said.

She stressed that women and girls become vulnerable to gender-based violence simply by virtue of being female.

“The fact that you were born female immediately puts you at risk of gender-based violence,” she stated.

The gender advocate also warned about the increasing use of social media and messaging platforms to spread misinformation and harmful content.

“WhatsApp has become a channel for misinformation and disinformation. As the internet grows, so does women’s exposure to risk,” she said.

According to her, the growing digital population in Nigeria means conversations around gender-based violence must also include technology-facilitated abuse.

“We must begin to pay attention to tech-facilitated gender-based violence because the same realities that exist offline now extend online,” she added.

In her goodwill message, the UNFPA Representative in Nigeria, Muriel Mafico, described gender-based violence as a major obstacle to development and called for stronger leadership and collaboration to address it.

“The change we want to see comes from us. We have to be the architects and designers of the Nigeria we want to see,” Mafico said.

She described the gathering as a room filled with experienced and knowledgeable leaders capable of driving solutions.

“The solutions we are looking for are in this room. We do not have to look outside,” she said.

Mafico noted that gender-based violence remains one of the slowest areas of progress globally and warned that the cost to society is enormous.

“The cost of gender-based violence is too high. It translates into loss of lives, trauma and loss of productive opportunities,” she said.

According to her, violence that occurs in private spaces eventually becomes a public health issue that requires institutional response.

“The violence may happen in the most private places, but it ends up becoming a public health issue. That is why the health sector has a huge role to play,” she stated.

She said UNFPA and its partners were focused on prevention, survivor-centred services, proper referral systems and implementation of existing laws.

“The law alone is not enough. Until laws are fully implemented, they remain only words on paper,” Mafico added.

She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s efforts to combat gender-based violence and promote gender equality.

“Progress in Nigeria is progress for the African continent and the global community. We will continue to support your vision,” she said.