Nigeria's top three presidential hopefuls have made various promises on tackling the country's gender-based violence crisis during their campaigns. As the country heads to the polls on 25 February, it remains to be seen if the candidate who is elected will take decisive action on GBV or whether the promises are all politically correct talks that end on the campaign trail.
Nigerians are expected to elect their 17th leader on Saturday when millions of citizens vote in the presidential election.
To decide on who to vote for, the over 94 million registered voters are largely reliant on the promises made by the 18 presidential hopefuls. Individuals, groups and organisations are scrutinising the candidates' manifestos to see how they affect their interests.
Organisations such as Her Story Our Story NG and Mirabel Centre which advocate against gender-based violence (GBV) have specifically asked candidates about their plans to address the gender-based violence menace in Nigeria.
Worrying GBV cases despite many laws
Between 2017 to 2019, there has been an increase in reported sexual violence cases in Nigeria. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, reported cases of sexual violence rose from 26 in 2017 to 60 in 2019. Moreover, the number of women who reported having experienced physical violence increased from 28 per cent in 2013 to 31 per cent in 2017.
The global pandemic in 2020 exacerbated cases of gender-based violence leading to the launch of the National GBV Data Situation Room and Dashboard in November 2020. The dashboard, which is an initiative of the Nigerian government in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative, provides unified data on violence against women and girls. On the platform Report GBV, 12,460 cases have been recorded and 438 persons have died from GBV from 2019 to 7 February 2023 when PREMIUM TIMES accessed the database.
Also, the reported cases of GBV continue to rise according to data collated by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) from 2019 to 7 February 2023.
Cases of violence have soared despite the existence of laws like the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act 2015, the Child Rights Act (CRA) 2003 and the Criminal and Penal codes.
The VAPP Act seeks to prohibit all forms of violence against persons, including women and girls in private and public life and provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders. Whereas the previous law defined rape as a crime which could only happen to women through vaginal penetration, the VAPP Act is all-encompassing. It acknowledges that rape is a violent crime against both women and men and it defines 'instruments of rape' as more than just a penis; it acknowledges that other parts of the body such as hands and objects can be used by perpetrators of sexual violence.
Get Infographics on the details of GBV laws in Nigeria here.
Besides the VAPP Act, Nigeria's Child Rights Act (CRA) guarantees the rights and responsibilities of children and prohibits the use of corporal punishment for children below the age of 18 years. It also specifies the duties and obligations of the government, parents and other authorities, organisations and bodies.
According to the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, all 35 states and the FCT had domesticated the VAPP Act as of 18 January 2023, and 32 out of the country's 36 states have domesticated the CRA. Ironically, the only states that are yet to adopt the law are in the northern region, where child marriage is prevalent.
In addition, Section 357 of the Nigerian Criminal Code (applicable in the South) and the Nigerian Penal Code (applicable in the North) criminalise indecent sexual assault, rape and defilement.
In spite of these laws, GBV cases persist owing to several factors. In November 2021, the Minister of Women Affairs blamed a slow justice system, saying that in cases of 3,125 survivors seeking justice, only 33 suspects had been convicted, with cases of 972 perpetrators still pending in court.
Against this backdrop and as Nigerians prepare to elect their next leader on February 25, many are asking whether the frontrunners - Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) - plan to address gender-based violence. Do these presidential hopefuls have any plans to quell cases of GBV against women and girls? A look at their manifestoes, policy documents and campaign speeches sheds light on where they stand.
Pronouncements on GBV
In Atiku's manifesto titled 'My covenant with Nigerians', no mention is made of how to tackle GBV. The only reference to gender is "bridging gender and spatial gaps that exist in education and health." It is one of his strategic pillars.
One of Atiku's presidential campaign spokespersons, Daniel Bwala, told PREMIUM TIMES that manifestoes do not have to carry a comprehensive plan of the party.
"The fact that it is not expressly stated, but is stated in a generic form, does not mean emphasis is not there.
"That is why after you release your manifesto, then you (presidential candidate) submit yourself to interrogation by the Nigerian people through debates, public hearings, town halls and rallies. You are asked by various interest groups the specifics you have and then you will expatiate," said Mr Bwala.
He added that the focus on bridging gender gaps in education as indicated in Atiku's manifesto encapsulates making women and girls aware of the "rights that are accrued to them either expressly or implicitly. Gender-based violence occurs when the woman is not empowered enough." The World Bank acknowledged this in findings that showed that uneducated girls are more vulnerable.
According to Mr Bwala, education and empowerment underlie the well-being of women which includes access to healthcare, reproductive health rights, rights of women at work, and the relevant laws that prohibit sexual abuse of women.
He added that a PDP government would introduce a bill that would protect the rights of women in the workplace "because there is no law in Nigeria that protects women from workplace harassment."
While the manifesto makes no mention of GBV, the candidate's policy document titled 'Atiku's Plan' specifies how he intends to address GBV by creating "a special tribunal for crimes against women including domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse, rape" and "actively encourage the passage of the Gender Equality Bill in an acceptable form, dedicating resources to resolve any blockages."
In August 2022, Atiku created the Office of the Special Assistant on Gender Issues as part of his promise to reserve a good percentage of his appointments for women and youth, if elected. Atiku's Special Assistant on Gender Issues, Lynn Bassey, told PREMIUM TIMES that her appointment "is a clear sign of HE Alh Atiku Abubakar's interest in ameliorating issues that affect both genders." She mentioned that the administration would prioritise education for all, equal opportunities in politics and leadership and an effective judicial system to facilitate adherence to the law.
Like Atiku, Mr Obi's manifesto titled 'It's POssible... Obi/Baba-Ahmed's Pact with Nigeria', has no specific plans for solving the prevailing GBV crisis. A document he had released earlier titled 'Prospects of Transformative Governance in Nigeria' also did not include detailed action plans against GBV.
However, a spokesperson of his presidential campaign team, Ndi Kato, told PREMIUM TIMES that the strategies were not outlined because Mr Obi's administration will leverage and implement existing GBV laws like the VAPP Act and the CRA.
"What we are seeking to do is to make sure the laws are implemented. These laws have been set aside to ensure that there is no violence against women and they have already been passed. We need to make sure that the relevant agencies implement them," she said.
Ms Kato added that Mr Obi's government if elected, would focus on implementing rule of law and justice.
"I won't say there is no need to pull out (indicate specific plans on GBV) but it (manifesto) is already all-encompassing because all these things fall under the implementation of the rule of law."
Women rights advocates, however, believe that the manifestos should have clearly indicated how the candidates intend to address GBV issues.
Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the Founding Director of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC), told PREMIUM TIMES that "a political party manifesto should speak to gender equality and how to make society free from discrimination and gender-based violence. If we do not address gender-based violence, we cannot reach gender equality targets or sustainable development goals."
Although the Labour Party's manifesto did not include definite action plans to tackle GBV, they indicated they "will enforce the requirements of the National Gender policy aimed at promoting gender equity, affirmative action and governance... "
Of the three top presidential hopefuls, only Mr Tinubu's manifesto titled 'Renewed Hope 2023... Action Plan for a Better Nigeria' highlighted plans to combat the prevalence of gendered violence which was included under the heading 'Women empowerment' and a subheading, 'Fighting domestic violence and abuse'.
The manifesto reads: "Our government will expand the use of specialist police units to investigate and handle cases of domestic violence. We shall strengthen social services and support to victims of domestic violence and abuse by encouraging whistleblowing, counselling for victims and sanctuary homes.
"We shall prioritise the prosecution of domestic abuse cases and will seek more serious criminal penalties for abusers."
Campaign speeches on GBV
On October 24, 2022, a coalition of more than 500 women organisations under the aegis of the Womanifesto movement, criticised the presidential candidates for not providing concrete plans for women and girls in the country. They vowed not to declare support for any candidate.
While expressing their displeasure against the presidential hopefuls, the Co-Convener of Womanifesto Dialogue, Mrs Akiyode-Afolabi, said it was high time the political class stopped treating women as second-class citizens in Nigeria, adding that "our identity and dignity as women matter."
"We are asking for five concrete issues that the government should attend to. For example, on ending violence against women, we noticed that about 31 out of the 36 states have passed the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, which was one of the things we put as a demand," she said.
Subsequently, the three presidential candidates at different speaking events during the campaign season expressed their unflinching support to tackle gender-based violence.
During one of his campaign appearances at the Lagos Business School, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Obi, pledged: "Our gender policy will include strong provisions against gender-based violence."
At the 95th anniversary of a government-owned girls' secondary school, Queens College, he said his government would be committed "to the wellbeing of the girl child and women and (it) will be fully reflected in our broad and gender-specific policies."
At another appearance in New York, Mr Obi vowed to punish rape offenders. He said, "I will not have a child abuser, sex offender, or rapist go free. They must be punished by the law and the law will be very stringent on them because it is important for society."
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Mr Tinubu and members of his presidential team made similar calls at varied campaign events to protect women and girls from violent situations.
At the Voice of Women (VOW) 2022 Conference and Awards, Mr Tinubu's running mate, Kashim Shettima, pledged that their administration would safeguard fundamental rights and decency in the society by "ending all forms of divisive biases including gender discrimination." He added that the administration would be friendly to women.
At Chatham House, London, in December 2022, when asked how he intends to stop the kidnapping of women and girls and rape of young children, Mr Tinubu directed the response to Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, a member of his campaign team. Mr El-rufai responded that one of the causes of the gendered violence was the shortage of security officials and the solution would be to recruit more at the federal and community levels.
Like his counterparts, in August 2022, Atiku promised more inclusion of women in government positions if elected.
Too much talk, but no action
While the candidates may have stated good intentions in their manifestos, Executive Director of TechHerNG and Convener of the State of Emergency GBV Movement, Chioma Agwuegbo, told PREMIUM TIMES that it remains to be seen whether the promises will be implemented.
Her stance is understandable given the numerous unfulfilled promises by the members of the 9th National Assembly to support the cause of women and girls. Yet, when they had the opportunity to address gender gaps, they rejected it. For instance, on the 1 March, 2022, the Nigerian parliament frustrated moves to prioritise the protection and empowerment of Nigerian women and girls when they failed to pass the five gender bills submitted by women groups. The bills, if enacted into law, would have provided for affirmative action for women in the administration of political parties and would have created special seats for women in the national and state assemblies. Other bills rejected included one in which the women sought to change the law denying citizenship to foreign-born husbands of Nigerian women and another denying women the right to become indigenes of their husband's state after five years of being married.
"It's a good step that the APC has included gender-based violence in their manifesto, but we all know Nigeria is great with speech but very lax in action.
"It is hard to get excited about some of these things till you actually see action because Nigeria is not lacking laws, what is lacking is implementation," said Ms Agwuegbo.
This report was supported by the Africa Women Journalism Project (AWJP) in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and with the sponsorship of the Ford Foundation.
