Women’s Rights

Sexual Violence Against Women with Disabilities

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Sexual violence against women with disabilities is a deeply troubling yet often overlooked dimension of gender-based violence that intersects with ableism, discrimination, and social neglect. Evidence shows that women with disabilities face a significantly higher risk of sexual violence compared to women without disabilities, in part because of societal attitudes that devalue their autonomy and normalize their marginalization. Research indicates that women with any form of disability may experience sexual violence at roughly double the rate of women without disabilities over their lifetimes, with heightened vulnerability among those with multiple or cognitive disabilities [1]. In some settings, women with disabilities are disproportionately likely to be victims of rape and other forms of coerced sexual contact, underscoring the urgent need to recognize their specific risks and experiences as part of broader violence prevention efforts [2].

The vulnerability of women with disabilities to sexual violence is driven by multiple factors including dependency on caregivers or partners for daily needs, limited mobility or communication barriers, and pervasive myths that deny their sexual agency and rights. These conditions not only increase exposure to abuse but also make it harder for survivors to report violence or access support services due to fear, shame, or lack of accessible reporting mechanisms. Global research highlights that women with disabilities are more likely to face not only sexual violence but also emotional and physical abuse, with long-term impacts on physical and mental health, autonomy, and quality of life [3]. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has repeatedly called attention to the disproportionate risk of violence faced by women with disabilities and the necessity for better data, inclusive services, and tailored policies to protect their rights [4].

In Nigeria, too, gender-based violence is addressed under laws such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015, which aims to eliminate all forms of violence against individuals, including sexual violence. While such legal frameworks exist, enforcement, awareness, and protection for women with disabilities remain inconsistent, with many survivors still falling through gaps in reporting, healthcare, and justice systems [5]. It is therefore critical for policymakers, health systems, community leaders, and service providers to mainstream disability-inclusive approaches that recognize the intersecting vulnerabilities that these women face.

At the Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI), addressing violence against women especially among vulnerable populations like women with disabilities is integral to our community health work. CFHI integrates gender-based violence awareness and response into school and community engagements, ensuring that information on rights, reporting pathways, and support services reaches diverse audiences. Through partnerships with health facilities, community leaders, and referral networks, CFHI also supports safe and confidential reporting channels, linking survivors to medical care, psychosocial support, and legal aid where available. By advocating for inclusive prevention strategies and survivor-centred responses, CFHI reinforces that violence against women with disabilities is not inevitable it is preventable and must be confronted collectively.

Ending violence against women with disabilities requires an intersectional approach that dismantles harmful social norms, strengthens legal protections, and ensures that services are accessible and responsive to the unique needs of survivors. Education and awareness campaigns must challenge myths about disability and sexuality, while community-level prevention programmes should promote respect, consent, and equality for all women regardless of ability. Health workers, educators, and law enforcement must be trained to recognise and respond to sexual violence sensitively and without bias. Importantly, women with disabilities themselves should be engaged as leaders in advocating for change, ensuring that policies and interventions are shaped by their lived experiences.

The fight against sexual violence is not only a matter of law or policy it is a moral imperative rooted in human rights, dignity, and justice. As communities, governments, and organisations, we must commit to creating environments where vulnerable women anf girls can live free from the threat of violence, access support without barriers, and assert their rights with confidence and respect.

 

References

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexual Violence and Intimate Partner Violence Among People with Disabilities. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/about/sexual-violence-and-intimate-partner-violence-among-people-with-disabilities.html (CDC)
  2. Z. C. et al. Sexual Violence Against Women With Disabilities: Experiences With Force and Lifetime Risk. American Journal of Preventive Medicine (lifetime risk higher among women with disabilities). (Reddit)
  3. Health and Socioeconomic Determinants of Abuse among Women with Disabilities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (higher prevalence and lower escape rates). (MDPI)
  4. World Health Organization. WHO calls for greater attention to violence against women with disabilities and older women. WHO. (World Health Organization)
  5. Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 (Nigeria). Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_Against_Persons_%28Prohibition%29_Act_2015 (en.wikipedia.org

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When Healthcare Costs Become a Form of Bias

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When healthcare costs rise beyond the reach of ordinary people, they silently become a form of bias one that decides who lives, who suffers, and who is forced to endure preventable pain. In Nigeria today, access to quality healthcare is increasingly determined not by need, but by ability to pay. For millions of women and girls, especially in low-income and underserved communities, the cost of care has become a cruel barrier that denies them their most basic right: the right to health. This hidden injustice affects lives, futures, and communities.

The impact of this bias is devastating. Pregnant women delay antenatal care because consultation fees are unaffordable, adolescent girls are denied reproductive health services, and survivors of gender-based violence cannot access timely medical attention due to cost. These barriers fuel inequality, worsen health outcomes, and perpetuate cycles of suffering. When healthcare becomes a privilege instead of a right, women and girls bear the heaviest burden, trapped in a system that marginalizes them and ignores their dignity.

The financial strain of out-of-pocket spending is crushing. Families are forced to choose between food, education, and medical care, often at the expense of women and girls. This reality exposes a health system that has failed to protect those most vulnerable, leaving them at risk of illness, neglect, and further gender-based harm. A functional, responsive healthcare system should uplift women and girls, not push them into vulnerability. Every woman and girl deserve care, respect, and protection regardless of income.

The Nigerian government must act decisively. Investing in maternal, reproductive, and gender-sensitive health services, strengthening primary healthcare, implementing effective insurance schemes, and ensuring accountability at every level are not optional, they are urgent obligations. Health must be treated as a national priority, because no society can prosper while its women and girls remain unwell, unprotected, and underserved. A fair and just society is one where access to healthcare is based on need, not income. Ending cost-driven bias in healthcare requires collective action from policymakers prioritizing women’s health financing, to institutions delivering quality care, to communities demanding equitable systems.

The call to action is clear: the government, stakeholders, and citizens must commit to ensuring healthcare is affordable, accessible, and equitable for all. Healthcare should heal, protect, and empower women and girls, and not discriminate against them. Until costs no longer determine who can access care, gender-based bias will continue to persist quietly, unfairly, and at an unacceptable human cost.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-base violence and gender-bias.

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UHC Day 2025: Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!

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Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day is a global reminder that access to quality health care is a fundamental right, not a privilege reserved for the wealthy. This year’s theme, “Unaffordable health costs? We’re sick of it!”, speaks directly to one of the biggest barriers facing millions of Nigerians: skyrocketing healthcare costs and the widening gap between health needs and the ability to pay.

While achieving UHC requires multisectoral commitment, one of the most critical systems needed to bridge this gap is health insurance, an essential mechanism designed to protect individuals from financial hardship, ensure continuity of care, and promote equitable access to essential services. Yet, despite the existence of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and state-level schemes, enrolment remains abysmally low. Out-of-pocket payments still account for over 76% of total health spending in Nigeria, pushing millions deeper into poverty every year.

Health insurance providers cannot succeed alone; they face chronic underfunding, limited subsidies, weak enforcement, and low public awareness. Sustainable progress requires stronger government leadership, increased premium subsidies for the poor, upgraded health facilities, and digital systems that make enrolment seamless.

Yet progress is possible, and CFHI is proving it every day.

Through relentless community mobilization and strategic partnerships with philanthropists like Satoshi Koiso and development partners such as the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), CFHI has successfully enrolled 224 vulnerable individuals into NHIA-supported health coverage this year alone.

These are not just numbers.

They are mothers who no longer skip medication.

They are children who can see a doctor without their parents selling assets.

They are families now protected from choosing between medicine and food.

Health insurance must be affordable, accessible, and functional for every Nigerian. It is not just a policy tool; it is a lifeline that protects households from falling into poverty and guarantees timely care, especially for vulnerable groups.

On UHC Day 2025, our message is unequivocal:

No Nigerian should be denied quality care because they cannot afford it.

We call on federal and state governments to:

  • Fully subsidize premiums for low-income and vulnerable households
  • Strengthen primary health care facilities that deliver insured services
  • Enforce mandatory coverage and streamline digital enrolment

It is time to end the era of unaffordable health costs.

Health care is a right for every Nigerian, irrespective of socio-economic status.

Together, we can make “We’re sick of it” a rallying cry that finally delivers results.

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Removing Gender Barriers in Healthcare Access

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Removing gender barriers to healthcare is not only a matter of equity it is a moral and practical necessity if societies are to survive and thrive. Women and girls face layered obstacles to care: constrained mobility, financial dependence, harmful social norms, and health systems that are under-resourced and sometimes discriminatory. The World Health Organization highlights that gender norms and discrimination systematically limit access to services for women and girls, reducing their ability to obtain timely information, preventive care, and lifesaving treatment (1). These barriers are compounded by grim facility gaps: recent WHO/UNICEF data show billions are treated in health settings that lack basic water, sanitation, hygiene, and reliable electricity conditions that make safe maternal care and emergency treatment precarious (2). At the same time, progress toward universal health coverage (UHC) has slowed, leaving significant groups especially women in rural and low-income communities exposed to out-of-pocket costs and unmet needs (3).

The consequences are measurable and stark. Nigeria, for example, continues to bear a disproportionate share of global maternal deaths, a reality linked to regional inequalities in access, weak infrastructure, and funding shortfalls (4). Globally, analyses of health inclusivity reveal that refugees, displaced women, women with disabilities and other marginalized groups are far more likely to be denied or excluded from care in some cases by more than twenty percentage points compared with non-marginalized groups (5). These are not abstract injustices: they translate into delayed antenatal visits, unattended deliveries, untreated complications, and endless cycles of preventable suffering. Removing gender barriers means addressing the social drivers that prevent women from seeking care as urgently as fixing the physical gaps in facilities.

Civil society organisations and local actors are essential partners in closing these gaps. The Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) works at the community level to confront both practical and cultural barriers to care: we run health education and rights-awareness campaigns that equip women and families with knowledge about available services and how to claim them; we strengthen linkages between households and primary health centres through referrals and case management; we support WASH and menstrual hygiene programmes so women can access services with dignity; and we provide capacity building for community health workers and facility staff so that care is both accessible and respectful (6). Where infrastructure is missing, CFHI has partnered with donors and initiatives to deliver pragmatic solutions for example installing solar birth kits in underserved PHCs to ensure safe night-time deliveries while simultaneously training Healthcare Professionals and Community Health Extension Workers (CHEWs) to enhance their competencies in clinical care, documentation, counselling, and emergency response, ensuring that PHCs can deliver reliable and respectful services across all essential health areas

To remove gender barriers at scale, governments, donors, and health systems must act on several fronts. First, finance primary health care adequately and ensure that essential services are free or financially protected at the point of use, so women are not forced to choose between care and survival. Second, invest in facility infrastructure WASH, electricity, cold chain and privacy provisions because dignity and safety are prerequisites for access. Third, embed gender-responsive policies across health programming: mandate respectful maternity care, train providers on implicit bias and discrimination, involve women and adolescent girls in service design, and expand targeted outreach for marginalized groups. Fourth, strengthen data systems to capture gender-disaggregated indicators and unmet needs so resource allocation can follow the evidence. Finally, create accountability mechanisms community scorecards, patient charters and independent oversight so promises become measurable action.

Change requires more than policy papers; it requires citizens, health workers, NGOs and governments to demand it and to act. We call on policymakers to prioritise gender responsive UHC financing and facility upgrades, on donors to fund long-term health system strengthening rather than short-term projects, on facility managers to adopt respectful care protocols today, and on community leaders to champion women’s right to health. If we truly value half our population, we will remove the gender barriers that deny women the healthcare they are owed.

References

  1. World Health Organization. Gender and health. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender.
  2. World Health Organization; UNICEF. Countries making unprecedented efforts but billions still lack basic services in health-care facilities — WHO-UNICEF report warns. WHO website. 24 Sep 2025. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/24-09-2025-countries-making-unprecedented-efforts-but-billions-still-lack-basic-services-in-health-care-facilities—who-unicef-new-report-warns.
  3. World Health Organization. Universal health coverage (UHC) fact sheet. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/universal-health-coverage-(uhc).
  4. The Guardian. ‘Difficult choices’: aid cuts threaten effort to reduce maternal deaths in Nigeria. 21 May 2025. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/aid-cuts-threaten-effort-reduce-maternal-deaths-nigeria.
  5. Economist Impact. Understanding health inclusivity for women. Available from: https://impact.economist.com/projects/health-inclusivity-index/inclusivity-topics/articles/understanding-health-inclusivity-for-women.
  6. Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI). Who we are / What we do. Available from: https://www.cfhinitiative.org.

 

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

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Safe Spaces, Safe Girls

Every girl deserves to feel safe at home, in school, online, and within her community. Yet, for many adolescent girls, safety is not always guaranteed. From bullying and harassment to harmful gender norms and abuse, too many young girls are forced to grow up in environments that threaten their confidence, education, and dreams.

Safe spaces are not just physical places; they are environments where girls can freely express themselves, learn, share experiences, and access guidance without fear of judgment or harm. They are spaces where girls’ voices are heard, their ideas are valued, and their rights are respected.

When girls feel safe, they thrive, they speak up, lead, innovate. But when fear replaces safety, silence grows and with silence comes vulnerability. According to the United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day one in three women worldwide experiences physical or sexual violence in her lifetime, much of which begins during adolescence. Unsafe spaces often normalize this violence, teaching young girls that their safety and dignity can be negotiated; but they cannot.

Why Safe Spaces Matter

Safe spaces help girls:

  • Build self-esteem and confidence through open conversations and mentorship.
  • Access accurate health information, including sexual and reproductive health education.
  • Develop leadership skills that empower them to challenge stereotypes and discrimination.
  • Find support networks to overcome trauma, bullying, and gender-based violence.

Beyond protection from physical harm, girls also need safety in the digital world; shielding them from cyberbullying, online exploitation, and exposure to harmful content. As the digital world becomes a second home for adolescents, creating safe online communities is just as important as protecting physical spaces.

Parents, guardians, teachers, and instructors play a vital role in shaping the safety and confidence of young girls. They must create nurturing environments that make girls feel protected, valued, and always heard.

Adults should provide constant reassurance, letting girls know they are not alone in their challenges. They should encourage them to brace up against the trials of adolescence, reminding them that every challenge is part of growth. Girls should be motivated to stay focused on their goals, believe in their dreams, and never let temporary setbacks define their worth.

When caregivers listen with empathy and guide with love, they give girls the courage to rise above fear, pressure, or self-doubt; building strong, confident women who will lead tomorrow.

 

Through our gender norms transformation programs, school and community outreaches, and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention campaigns, CFHI continues to educate adolescents and their caregivers on creating supportive, respectful, and inclusive environments. We work to ensure that every girl has access to information, mentorship, and opportunities that build resilience and confidence.

To every adolescent girl reading this: your voice matters. You have the right to safety, respect, and dignity. Speak up when something feels wrong, support your peers, and stand for what is right even when it’s hard.

To parents, teachers, and guardians be the reason a girl feels safe. Create spaces filled with trust, understanding, and love. Encourage her to stay focused, stay brave, and never give up on her dreams.

Because when girls are safe, they are unstoppable. And when girls are unstoppable, communities thrive.

As the African proverb says, “Train a girl, and you train a nation.” This reminds us that creating safe spaces for girls is not only a moral duty but a foundation for building stronger, safer, and more prosperous communities.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-base violence and gender-bias.

 

 

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CFHI Participates in 2024 VAPP Act Validation Meeting

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CFHI Participates in Validation Meeting on the 2024 Annual Implementation Report of the VAPP Act

The Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) joined other key stakeholders at the Validation Meeting on the 2024 Annual Implementation Report of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, held today at the NAPTIP Training Resource Centre, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

The meeting brought together representatives from government agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners to review and validate progress made in implementing the VAPP Act across Nigeria. Discussions centered on strengthening coordination, addressing implementation gaps, and improving service delivery to survivors of gender-based violence.

CFHI’s participation underscores its ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality and promoting a society free from all forms of violence. Through collaboration and evidence-based advocacy, the organization continues to support national efforts in ensuring the effective enforcement of the VAPP Act.

By engaging in such strategic dialogues, CFHI reaffirms its role in driving accountability and fostering partnerships that protect the rights and dignity of all persons, particularly women and vulnerable groups. 

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

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Democracy Fails Women When It Ignores Gender Violence

Democracy is more than ballots, parliaments, and courtrooms it is the everyday reality that allows every person to live with dignity and safety. When a democratic system pretends that voting and institutions alone guarantee equality while turning a blind eye to the daily threat of gender-based violence (GBV), it is failing a fundamental promise: protection for all citizens. For millions of women, the “freedoms” democracy claims to protect are hollow if public systems, laws, and practices do not prevent, punish, and deter gendered violence.

The hard numbers refuse to let us look away. Globally, roughly one in three women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or sexual violence by a non-partner in her lifetime a staggering indicator that violence is not an exception but a systemic condition that persists across democratic and non-democratic states alike. (World Health Organization)

Nigeria’s statistics reflect this painful truth at home. National data and large-scale studies point to around a third of women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), with some surveys showing 31–35% having experienced some form of IPV in recent measures. These are not abstract percentages they translate to millions of women whose bodily autonomy, mental health, economic participation and civic engagement are continuously undermined. (DHS Program)

Worse, the trendlines in some places show an alarming rise in certain forms of violence over time. Comparative analyses of regional data (for example, conflict-affected northeast Nigeria) demonstrate increases in emotional and sexual IPV between survey rounds a decade apart; a signal that crises, weak accountability, and institutional neglect worsen GBV even within states that hold elections. When democratic systems fail to protect women in times of stress, the social contract fractures. (ResearchGate)

 There are three recurring failures because democracy fail in practice:

  1. Visibility without remedy. Democracies can record crimes and produce statistics, but if police, health systems and courts do not follow through, documentation becomes an exercise in moral hygiene rather than justice. Survivors who report violence often encounter blame, delays, unsafe processes, or outright dismissal.
  2. Law without implementation. Nigeria has laws criminalizing domestic and sexual violence, but enforcement is uneven. Where patriarchy is embedded in institutions, legal protections are toothless. Laws on paper become meaningless when budgets, training, and survivor-centered services are absent.
  3. Public indifference normalized as “private matters.” When GBV is repeatedly framed as a private or cultural problem, democratic debate excludes the voices of survivors and diminishes the urgency required for structural change.

These failures matter because gender violence is not merely a private tragedy it is a public, democratic harm. GBV shrinks women’s political voice (fear limits public participation), undermines economic independence (injury, trauma, time away from work), and burdens health systems. Democracies that do not treat GBV as a governance and human-rights priority are sustaining inequality disguised as civility.

It’s not enough to pass new laws; democracies must transform institutions and social norms. That means guaranteeing emergency health and legal services; training and holding police and judiciary accountable; funding safe shelters; integrating GBV prevention in schools and workplaces; and centering survivors in policy design. It also means political leaders must stop treating GBV as a “women’s issue” and recognize it as a democracy and development crisis.

At the Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI), we approach this challenge on three complementary fronts: prevention, survivor support, and advocacy. On prevention, we run community dialogues and gender norms activities that challenge the attitudes that normalize violence and silence survivors. For survivors, CFHI facilitates safe referrals and trains Community Health Workers to provide trauma-informed first response and linkages to legal and psychosocial support. On advocacy, we engage local leaders and stakeholders to press for funded, accountable GBV services and to include GBV metrics in local governance performance reviews.

These actions are small in the face of a systemic problem, but democracy is built from local actions. When community-level institutions protect women’s rights and when civic actors demand accountability, national democracy is strengthened. CFHI’s work shows that when communities are empowered to respond and when survivors are listened to, trust grows, and that trust is the living tissue of democratic life.

A call to action

Democracy will keep failing women until citizens and leaders act as if their safety is a public good. If you read this and care about democracy, do three things today:

  • Speak up publicly: challenge the narrative that GBV is a “private” problem.
    • Support survivors and local organizations: fund and volunteer with groups offering direct services.
    • Hold institutions to account: demand transparent budgets for GBV response and regular reporting on prosecutions, service availability, and survivor outcomes.

Democracy isn’t earned through election cycles alone it is preserved by institutions and communities that protect the most vulnerable. Ignoring gender violence is not neutrality; it is complicity. Let us insist that our democracy lives up to its promise not only in rhetoric but in the daily safety and dignity of every woman.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-base violence and gender-bias.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

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Closing the Gender Wealth Gap to End Violence Against Women

Economic justice is the key to safety, health, and empowerment for women worldwide. Every Wednesday, we raise our voices to challenge injustice, and today we confront one of the most entrenched roots of gender-based violence: economic inequality. The gender wealth gap isn’t just a financial statistic; it’s a silent enabler of abuse, a barrier to freedom, and a public health emergency.

Globally, women earn less than men for the same work3, own less property, have limited access to leadership4 and fewer financial safety nets1. This economic disparity creates a cycle of dependency that heightens exposure to violence and limits the ability to escape abusive environments. In Nigeria, for instance, the Minister of Women Affairs recently emphasized that closing the gender gap could add ₦15 trillion to the country’s GDP annually by 20252, underscoring the economic potential of gender equity.

These issues are persistent and global. In the EU, despite the “Women on Boards” directive aiming for 40% female representation by 2026, progress is slow. Women currently hold only 35% of non-executive roles and 21% of senior executive positions 4. This is despite evidence from a 2025 report showing that companies with greater gender diversity are 25% more likely to be more profitable3. In sectors like tech and finance, women continue to report being passed over for promotions, excluded from decision-making, and subjected to gender-based microaggressions, which stifles their economic advancement4.

Call To Action

To end violence against women, we must invest in their economic power. As outlined in a UN Women 2025 advocacy paper, closing the funding gap in programs that support survivors and prevent violence is critical1. We call on Governments, NGOs, and private sector to collaborate on expanding access to education and vocational training, supporting women-led businesses and financial literacy programs, funding essential services for survivors, including shelters, legal aid, and healthcare, and advocating for and enforcing equal pay and robust workplace protections.

At the Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI), we are committed to this work. Through collaborations with partners like the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Caritas Nigeria, FCT Social Development Secretariat (SDS), TY Danjuma Foundation (TYDF), and Global Philanthropy Alliance (GPA), we have empowered over 2500 women and girls with education, vocational training, business start-up kits, and financial support.

Financial inequality isn’t just unfair; it’s dangerous. It limits women’s choices, increases health risks, and perpetuates cycles of violence and poverty. Empowering women economically is not merely a matter of justice; it is the essential foundation for building safer, healthier societies for all.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

References

  1. UN Women. Closing the funding gap to end violence against women and girls [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Oct 21]. Available from: https://knowledge.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/closing-the-funding-gap-to-end-violence-against-women-and-girls-en.pdf
  2. The Guardian Nigeria. Closing gender gap will add ₦15tr to Nigeria’s GDP by 2025 [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Oct 21]. Available from: https://guardian.ng/news/closing-gender-gap-will-add-n15tr-to-nigerias-gdp-by-2025/
  3. Women in the workplace 2025: Research and trends [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Oct 21]. Available from: https://www.wellable.co/blog/women-in-the-workplace-2025-research-and-trends
  1. IMD. Gender inequality in the workplace: Why it persists? [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Oct 21]. Available from: https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/articles/gender-inequality-in-the-workplace-why-it-persists/

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY

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No Access, No Escape: Why Information is Critical to GBV Survival

When Sheila was nineteen and living in Lagos, the threats began. Her husband told her that if she ever disobeyed him, he would make sure she lost her job and her reputation. One night, terrified, she sent a friend a message begging for help. But she did not know where to go, which law could protect her, or who to call. Information could have saved her. Its absence trapped her.

This is the silent epidemic within gender-based violence (GBV): not only physical harm but the isolation created by ignorance. Without access to timely and accurate information, survivors are left in darkness. Information is not a luxury. It is the first line of defence and the foundation of justice.

Why Information Saves Lives

When a woman understands that violence against her is a crime, she begins to reclaim her power. When she knows where to report, what medical help to seek, and how to preserve evidence, she increases her chances of survival and justice. Without that knowledge, fear becomes her only companion.

Studies from Nigeria show that most women who experience GBV are unaware of available support. In Adamawa State, 60 percent of women knew that services existed, but fewer than 18 percent understood what those services actually offered. A 2025 study found that even educated young women often avoid post-violence health care because they do not know where to go, or they fear stigma and disbelief.

Globally, the United Nations has affirmed through multiple conventions including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and UN Security Council Resolution that access to information is central to ending violence. Without it, laws, services, and resources remain out of reach.

 

The Barriers That Keep Survivors Silent

 

Survivors often do not seek help because they believe nobody will believe them. Others live far from formal services. Many lack access to the internet or even a simple phone number they can trust. Information materials are often written in legal or medical language that ordinary people cannot understand. In rural areas, the absence of community-based awareness campaigns means women do not even know that shelters or hotlines exist.

 

These are not personal failures. They are systemic failures of governments that under fund awareness programmes, of institutions that do not communicate in local languages, and of communities that allow silence to thrive.

 

What Survivors Can Do When They Need Help

Every survivor deserves a pathway to safety. Here is what that path can look like:

 

  1. Seek immediate safety: If you are in danger, leave the space if possible. Go to a trusted friend, relative, neighbour, or nearby public place.
  2. Reach out for help: Call the national GBV toll-free line: 0800 033 3333. You can also contact the organisations that provide counselling, medical referrals, and legal support.
  3. Preserve evidence: Avoid bathing or changing clothes if you experienced physical or sexual violence. Seek medical care immediately.
  4. Know your rights: Violence against women is a crime under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015. Every survivor has a right to medical treatment, legal assistance, and protection.
  5. Document and speak. Keep copies of threatening messages or photos. Report to a the police or NAPTIP. You are not alone, and help exists.

 

Call to Action

Governments and institutions must treat access to information as a legal right and embed it firmly within all GBV policies and action plans. Every state should guarantee that survivors know what services exist and how to reach them. Public awareness must go beyond slogans to reach the offline majority through community radio, schools, and local languages that resonate. Survivor-friendly spaces should be standard in every police station, hospital, and local government office, where trained officers and clear contact points offer judgement-free guidance. Finally, investment in ethical data systems and public education is non-negotiable. Reliable data exposes the gaps, directs resources, and saves lives, as demonstrated by the efforts of UNFPA and Nigeria’s GBV Information Management System.

 

How CFHI Is Closing the Information Gap

At the Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI), we believe that information is power and in the fight against GBV, it is protection. CFHI leads nationwide awareness through the 16 Days of Activism, runs community and school groups that teach health, rights, and safety, and provides direct referrals for survivors to medical, psychosocial, and legal services. Our work reaches those often left behind; the woman without a phone, the girl who cannot read, the family with no internet or transport. By breaking information barriers, we give survivors a voice, a pathway, and a plan. Because when women know their rights and how to use them, violence begins to lose its power.

 

The Global Urgency

Across the world, violence thrives where information is weakest. For the woman in a remote village without a phone or access to the internet, silence becomes her only shelter. For the girl who cannot read, the poster on the clinic wall might as well be blank. For displaced women in camps, and for widows in informal settlements, help often feels like a rumour whispered too far away to reach. In these spaces, information is not abstract,  it is survival. It is the map that leads from danger to safety, from fear to agency. Every hotline number, every awareness programme, every conversation led in a local dialect is more than communication. It is protection. It is the first step toward justice and the quiet revolution that keeps women alive.

 

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

 

#NoAccessNoEscape #InformationSavesLives #EndGBV #RightsAreKnowledge #SpeakWednesday #GenderJustice

 

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON BREAKING BARRIERS: GILRS’ DREAMS OF EQUALITY IN EVERY FIELD

Gender Equality, Speak Wednesday, Women's Rights /

Imagine a world where every girl, regardless of her background, has the freedom to dream of being anything she wants to be—whether a doctor, an engineer, or a leader. Sadly, for many girls around the globe, these dreams remain out of reach due to entrenched gender-based violence and bias. Yet, despite the challenges, girls are rising to claim their rightful place in every field, fighting for equality in spaces where they were once invisible.

Gender bias often begins at an early age, limiting girls’ access to education and career opportunities. According to data from UNICEF, girls are still more likely to be excluded from primary and secondary education than boys. Even when they do receive an education, societal expectations often funnel them into traditional roles, discouraging their participation in STEM fields, leadership positions, and other high-impact careers. These biases follow them into adulthood, where they face wage gaps, workplace discrimination, and even physical violence.

Through policy reforms, educational programs, and advocacy, global efforts are beginning to turn the tide. Empowerment means more than survival; it means creating environments where girls are encouraged and supported to dream big.

As we provide safe spaces for girls, enforce protective laws, and promote gender-sensitive policies, we are actively enabling them to take charge of their future. The dream of equality is not just a dream for girls—it is a collective dream that holds the promise of a better world for everyone. For every girl who is allowed to thrive, the world gains an advocate for change, a leader, and a force for good.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #GirlsInSTEM #GenderEquality #WomenEmpowerment #LiteracyForAll #BreakTheSilence #EducationMatters #GenderJustice #EmpowerWomen

References:

  • UNICEF. “Education for Every Child.” UNICEF
  • United Nations. “HeForShe Campaign.” UN

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