Canada raises alarm over rising SGBV in Nigeria

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, James Christoff, has said that Nigeria is facing serious Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).

Christoff said this on Wednesday in Abuja during the presentation of the key findings of the second phase of the Galvanizing Mass Action Against Gender Based-Violence in Kano State (GMAA-K) project implemented by the Connected Development (CODE).

The event was also held in commemoration of this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD)

According to him, the IWD is a reminder that all women, from all ages and walks of life, have a place in every aspect of society, including economic, social and democratic spheres.

“At home, in schools, on the streets, at work, on the internet, in and between conflict zones and internally displaced persons camps, SGBV has become normalized and most often goes unpunished, sometimes blaming survivors,” he said.

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Chief Executive Officer of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, said SGBV was widespread in Nigeria, with 30 percent of women aged 15-49 reporting experiences of sexual abuse, 43 percent of girls married off before age 18 and 17 percent before they turned 15.