Sanwo-Olu rallies support for sexual violence survivors, others

Building on its existing initiatives, the Lagos State Government is intensifying its campaign against gender and sexual-based violence, urging citizens to join forces in the ongoing fight.

The state’s intensified campaign comes as part of its unwavering commitment to eradicate gender and sexual-based violence, through its collaborative efforts with stakeholders, including community leaders, organizations, and law enforcement agencies.

The Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu represented by the First Lady, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu stated this at the Governor’s commendation and award night organized by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) on Monday.

“It is not just the responsibility of the govt or agency, in a collective endeavor together we must continue to strengthen our legal frameworks and expand our support systems and most importantly break the culture of silence that allows abuse to persist,” he said.

While highlighting the progress made by the agency in the past decades, he noted that the success story and the impact of DSVA have been nothing short of extraordinary.

“The work done in the past year alone speaks volumes, receiving over 6000 cases providing critical legal and psycho-social support while engaging over a million people across the state in advocacy and education” he announced.

Speaking further, Sanwo-olu commended every initiative involved and to citizens who broke the silence to fight sexual and gender-based violence in the state.

“This achievement belongs to many, it belongs to dedicated police officers social workers, healthcare professionals, the NGOs, and volunteers who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that survivors are heard and believed”.

“It belongs to our partner organizations, both international and local who have played instrumental roles in funding and supporting the various initiatives of dsva and to every citizen of Lagos who has raised their voices against this menace and chose to be part of the solution rather than standing by it in silence” he added.

Additionally, the governor pledged that the state will continue to support and invest in initiatives that protect the vulnerable including women, children, and the marginalized while promising to provide resources to ensure that justice is served for every survival.

The Executive Secretary, of Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, while addressing the press, agency would continue to embark on sustained advocacy, as there had been a direct correlation between heightened awareness and an increase in reporting of SGBV cases.

She explained that the agency was gradually breaking the culture of silence, and people beginning to speak out, at the inception of the agency.

“People are reporting more, but of course, we cannot rest on our oars, because we know we have not even scratched the surface” she stated.

The Lagos State Domestic and Violence Agency aims to strengthen support systems, enhance legal frameworks, and break the culture of silence surrounding Sexual and gender-based violence in the State.