By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Lagos State government has said that about 592 women and 70 men reported spousal battering and violence in the last one year.
Mrs. Cecilia Dada, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) who disclosed this on Tuesday at a ministerial news conference in Ikeja, Lagos said 592 women reported battering and violence against them by their husbands in the last one year, while 70 men also reported that their wives beat or battered them within the same period.
Dada also disclosed that 662 domestic violence cases were reported to the WAPA ministry in the last one year by women and men.
Given a further breakdown, the commissioner said 27 male and 247 female reported domestic violence directly to the ministry while 43 male and 345 female reported spousal violence through the ministry’s toll-free line 767/112.
Dada added that there is the ongoing construction of the Domestic Violence Survivors Shelter located at Agidingbi, Ikeja, which will provide a safe and secure refuge for survivors of domestic violence in the state.
She explained that the shelter would offer temporary housing, psycho-social support, counselling services, legal assistance, and resources to help survivors rebuild their lives free from abuse.
Dada further said that the domestic violence unit created in 2015 in order to handle gender based violence cases that occur among intimate partners, relations, neighbors, among others had done a lot.
The domestic violence unit is saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring zero tolerance to gender based violence in the state.
The commissioner stated that the unit had been able to offer social intervention which involved advocacy (sensitization and awareness creation programs on GBV), counseling, mediation, rescue, social investigation, empowerment, referral, medical assistance, collaboration, psychosocial services and follow up.
“The Ministry also partners with MDAs, International organizations and other relevant stakeholders to curb cases Of gender based violence in the State,” she stated.