Over 10,000 gender-based violence cases recorded in eight months – FG

Minster for Women Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim

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The Federal Government says no fewer than 10,326 gender-based violence cases were reported between January and September 2025, with 2,444 survivors receiving care in recovery centres.

The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imam Suleiman-Ibrahim, disclosed this at the National Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence.

The event, organised by ActionAid and other development partners, was held on Friday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the dialogue was part of activities marking the 2025 16 Days of Activism, with the theme,”UNiTE! End All Forms of Digital Violence against Women and Girls”.

The minister, represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Adanna Steinacker, said 511 survivors had been supported with livelihoods and empowerment interventions.

“Though there was a decline in the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey in sexual violence, physical violence, and intimate partner violence, yet one in three women experienced GBV during the same period.

“However, across the country, violence against women, children and vulnerable groups remains a painful reality.

“Technology-facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TF-GBV) has remained largely unreported due to its complex nature,” Steinacker said.

The minister added that TF-GBV, which includes sex torture, non-consensual sharing of intimate images, online blackmail, and manipulation of digital platforms, has caused severe trauma and, in some cases, fatalities.

She said the Federal Government had concluded arrangements to relaunch the National Electronic Dashboard on Gender-Based Violence.

According to her, the initiative is crucial for tracking trends, identifying patterns, and improving case management and coordination nationwide.

“The ministry will be prioritising the establishment of an Emergency GBV Response Fund, a ring-fenced mechanism to bridge funding gaps and guarantee operational stability for shelters, hotlines, emergency response and survivor rehabilitation,” she said.

Earlier, representative of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Cynthia Rowe, called for a national online gender safety policy to coordinate agencies and enforce content moderation standards.

She urged social media platforms to remove harmful content within 48 hours, deploy culturally aware moderation teams, and publish transparency reports.

Rowe also called for the establishment of digital abuse courts and digital protection orders, which would serve as one-stop reporting portals integrating police, legal aid, and psychosocial support.

She stressed the need for mandatory gender-sensitive cybercrime training for law enforcement.

The Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, said the dialogue aimed to strengthen national coordination and deepen understanding of TF-GBV in Nigeria.

“It is also to identify legal and institutional gaps, and co-create a National Roadmap for prevention and response,” he said.

Mamedu said participants, through high-level remarks, thematic presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, would develop actionable solutions and build stronger partnerships.

He added that the initiative would secure commitments from government and other stakeholders to enhance protection, reporting, accountability, and digital safety for women and girls across the country.

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