Rising SGBV: Women’s coalition demands inclusive justice, security reforms ahead of CSW70

A coalition of Nigerian and African women organisations, convened by Nalafem and locally hosted by the NAF Foundation for Young Women and partners WILAN, PPDC, and Hope Behind Bars Africa, has called on the federal government to prioritise women’s participation in justice reforms, security planning, and peacebuilding not only as survivors of crises, but as active contributors to solutions.

The women made the call at a Nigeria country-level preparatory meeting in Abuja for the upcoming UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70), scheduled for March 2026.

Nafisa Atiku‑Adejuwon, Country Representative of Nalafem Nigeria and Executive Director of the NAF Foundation, stressed that women and young people must be recognised as stakeholders and leaders, not just victims.

Read also: Gender-based violence affects 25.8% of women globally – Report

Atiku‑Adejuwon said, “Women and young people must be recognised as contributors to solutions, not only as survivors of crises. Justice should not be a privilege. A woman should not need connections to be heard, and a girl should not need courage to be protected.”

The coalition is drafting Nigeria’s submission for CSW70, focusing on three key demands: removing barriers to women’s access to justice, increasing women’s representation in justice institutions, and building leadership pipelines for young women across policing, the judiciary, corrections, policy, and security sectors.

The call comes amid concerning figures of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Nigeria.

Data from various states show that 27,698 SGBV cases were recorded over a three-year period. Lagos State reported 24,009 cases of gender-based violence, including sexual, physical, and psychological abuse, between 2019 and 2023, while the Salama Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, recorded 3,977 cases since 2019.

Atiku‑Adejuwon highlighted the need to shift from referring to survivors as victims, arguing that such language can perpetuate the cycle of victimisation. “Instead, survivors should be recognised as actors and agents of change, capable of shaping solutions to prevent and respond to SGBV,” she said.

Chioma Onyenucheya-Uko, Chairperson of FIDA Nigeria, Abuja Branch, lamented that while laws exist to protect survivors, many are discouraged from seeking justice due to slow legal processes, difficulty gathering evidence, and insufficient protection in volatile regions.

Onyenucheya-Uko warned against leaving critical security roles in the hands of untrained personnel, arguing that proactive and preventative strategies are essential to protect citizens and restore public confidence. She urged the government to centre women, children, and other vulnerable groups in security and justice reforms.

“Every Nigerian matters,” FIDA’s chairperson said. “We cannot leave a vulnerable girl behind because she is a girl. We cannot neglect an orphan or a person with a disability because society treats them as less important.”

Experts point to entrenched socio-economic factors, including poverty, patriarchal norms, and weak enforcement of laws, as drivers of SGBV.

The coalition and its partners are advocating for reforms that enhance gender equality, empower women economically, and expand access to education, property rights, and leadership opportunities.

As Nigeria prepares for CSW70 and broader Pan-African dialogues, women’s groups hope their demands will translate into tangible national reforms that strengthen justice, security, and protection for all, particularly survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date