As the world opens the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a compelling message is emerging from Nigeria—one that underscores a painful truth: for millions of women and girls, violence is not an isolated incident but a constant, life-altering threat.
In a strongly worded statement marking the global campaign, Dr. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, former First Lady of Ondo State and prominent advocate for women’s rights, painted a stark picture of a nation still struggling to protect half of its population.
Despite the spread of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) across many states, she argues that the existence of laws has not translated into real protection. The framework, she insists, “remains symbolic” where enforcement is weak or nonexistent.
“What we are witnessing is a systemic failure,” she stated emphatically. “A failure of policing, a failure of prosecution, and a failure of political will.”
According to her, Lagos State stands out as a model of how a committed leadership and empowered institutions can curb gender-based violence. Yet, she lamented, such seriousness is still far from national norm.
Drawing from her tenure between 2017 and 2023, Dr. Anyanwu-Akeredolu recalled the significant strides made in Ondo State—including the passage of the VAPP Act and the establishment of the Ondo State Agency Against Gender-Based Violence. These, she said, were backed by campaigns across communities and dedicated support systems for survivors.
“But today,” she warned, “the agency has been allowed to grow comatose. Institutions built to protect women should never be casualties of political transitions.”
As the campaign theme for 2025, “Uniting to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” shifts attention to rising online abuses, she urged government at all levels to move beyond rhetoric, hashtags, and speeches.
Her call to action was direct and urgent. She emphasized that if Nigeria is serious about protecting women, leaders must:
- Fully enforce the VAPP Act across all states
- Fund and strengthen GBV response agencies
- Train police, prosecutors, and judges on survivor-centered practices
- Expand grassroots awareness
- Provide shelters, hotlines, legal and psychosocial support
- Address both offline and digital forms of abuse
- Pay special attention to vulnerable women in rural communities, conflict zones, and IDP camps
She warned that every unaddressed case “fuels the next,” and every silenced survivor stands as an indictment of Nigeria’s collective failure.
“A Nigeria that fails to protect its women,” she concluded, “has failed itself.”
Dr. Anyanwu-Akeredolu, founder of multiple women-focused organizations including BEMORE, BRECAN, and the Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu Foundation, affirmed that her advocacy will continue—insisting that national progress is impossible where women live in fear.
As global attention turns once again to ending gender-based violence, her message resonates as both a reminder and a challenge: Nigeria must choose action over apathy if it hopes to safeguard the future of its women and girls.
