A Nonprofit organisation, Lawyers Alert, has unveiled an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) shortcodes *7006*24# in 5 States including Bauchi, Benue, Enugu, Kano, and Osun aimed at improving access to Sexual Reproductive Health Right services for women and vulnerable groups.
At the launch of the USSD codes, Lawyers Alert’s Director Of Programs, Roseline Oghenebrume said it would enhance prompt and effective response to victims and survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
She noted that SGBV is prevalent in Nigeria, with its interventions inequitably distributed owing to limited knowledge, lack of access to services, and poverty.
She lamented that COVID-19 Pandemic and its attendant lockdown further exacerbated the challenges by narrowing the opportunity for SGBV victims and survivors to access relevant SRHR services.
Oghenebrume “60% of our women reside in rural areas where there are no means of accessing adequate services and information.”
“At Lawyers Alert, our engagement with various vulnerable groups during and after the COVID-19 lockdown greatly evidenced this. Our inability to reach, especially the rural population, was severe. People were trapped with their abusers with no platform to resort to for aid. Even where some had phones, internet connection is often a challenge in rural areas.
“Post-COVID, where to get information and services remains an issue owing to economic problems like transportation fare, data, or airtime to reach for help, which perpetuates sexual harm and abuse.
Considering the above, Lawyers Alert developed and is now launching this USSD code.”
Oghenebrume said the USSD would enable individuals to type in codes on any phone, whether a smartphone or not, internet-based or not, and the person will be avail information as to where to access free services when in danger of sexual and gender-based abuse.
“Anyone in the bedroom can use these USSD codes. Even If in the farms, corporate settings or anywhere, people can use the code. It brings down the wall of non-accessible assistance by victims of sexual and gender-based violence. It brings services and information to the doorstep of victims at no cost whatsoever’s. Victims do not need credit, airtime, or phone data to access this.
“The USSD will bridge the gap between service providers and women by providing information on their rights and nearby services such as psychosocial support centers, shelters, health facilities, legal support, etc. It will address information gaps without internet connectivity acting as a potential barrier. It will aid speedy service delivery because findings have revealed that often perpetrators of SGBV live under the same roof as the victims.”
Oghenebrume said the USSD is safe to use as the issue of confidentiality is factored into its development and that it is free without SMS charges. She said the USSD works on any phone even without internet connectivity to provide information on SRHR services within proximity to users.
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