Hon. Ngozi Blessing Felix, Commissioner Women Affairs Abia State, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of Lagos DSVA, Hon. Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, FCT Mandate Secretary, Women Affairs

In a bid to enhance response to domestic and sexual violence, representatives from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Women Affairs Secretariat and the Abia State Ministry of Women Affairs conducted a study visit to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA). The visit supported by the Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption (ROLAC) programme aimed to gain insights into the operational frameworks and policies of the DSVA.

Barrister Chidinma, representing ROLAC, expressed her organization’s joy in supporting the visit, highlighting the DSVA’s proven track record in providing justice for victims of gender-based violence. She emphasised the importance of learning from DSVA’s successes and implementing similar systems in both FCT and Abia State.

Hon. Adedayo Benjamin-Laniyi, Mandate Secretary of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat underscored the unique challenges faced by women with disabilities in the FCT which led to the setup of a disability unit to address these issues. She hoped the visit would lead to the establishment of functional support systems and shelters in the FCT.

Hon. Ngozi Blessing Felix, Commissioner for Women Affairs in Abia State, recounted her ministry’s efforts in combating gender-based violence and supporting vulnerable populations. She stressed the critical nature of the study visit in furthering these initiatives in Abia State. She reiterated the objective of the current administration to ensure that every woman is safe, every child is protected, and the most critical demographic is persons with disabilities

Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, Executive Secretary of Lagos DSVA, provided an overview of the agency’s history and operations highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to addressing sexual and gender-based violence and the agency’s commitment to leveraging technology for critical service delivery. The study visit included detailed training sessions on DSVA’s operational procedures, statutory functions and the coordinated response framework that has been successful in Lagos. Participants expressed optimism about applying these learnings to improve their respective states’ responses to gender-based violence.

This collaborative effort marks a significant step toward enhancing the capabilities of FCT and Abia State in addressing domestic and sexual violence and ensuring that survivors receive the support and justice they deserve.

Esther Alaribe
news@wfm917.com
Women Radio 91.7