Edo
The Edo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening the prevention of and response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Eugenia Abdallah, made the commitment while calling for coordinated action, improved survivor support and justice for victims.
Abdallah made the call in her welcome address at a South-South SGBV Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), Benin City.
The meeting was convened by the Edo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with the Caring Heart Initiative for Advocacy,
Development and Empowerment (CHIADE), with support from Gender and Development Action (GADA) and the South-South SGBV Prevention Information Hub.
The Commissioner said the meeting was aimed at obtaining a comprehensive overview of the SGBV ecosystem in Edo State and examining what is working across prevention, response, prosecution and the implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law.
She noted that the engagement would also help stakeholders identify gaps, strengthen coordination and agree on practical measures to improve outcomes for survivors.
The Commissioner commended Governor Monday Okpebholo for his commitment to protecting women, children and other vulnerable persons, noting that good governance must be measured not only by infrastructural development but also by the lives protected and the dignity restored.
She reaffirmed the Ministry’s collaboration with the Coordinator, Office of the First Lady, Edo State, Mrs. Edesili Okpebholo Anani, in advancing advocacy, community mobilisation, public awareness, child protection and support for survivors.
Abdallah urged stakeholders to move beyond meetings and policies to measurable action, stressing that every survivor deserves protection, dignity and access to justice. She called for stronger collaboration to ensure that no survivor stands alone and no perpetrator escapes justice.
In her presentation, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Joy Ihensekhien, outlined Edo State’s major interventions and achievements in addressing SGBV, explaining that the State’s structured response gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She highlighted the SGBV One-Stop Response Centre at New Benin Market, where medical personnel, lawyers, police officers and counsellors work together to provide coordinated assistance to survivors and facilitate referrals.
She also disclosed that the State’s Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, 2021, is undergoing its five-year review, alongside the development of policies addressing technology-facilitated gender-based violence, including cyberbullying and stalking.
Ihensekhien further noted that the Gender-Based Violence Management Committee, chaired by the First Lady, holds quarterly meetings to review reports, assess interventions and develop solutions
. She added that the Ministry had secured a dedicated budget line for SGBV interventions, while identifying the withdrawal of complaints by victims or their families during prosecution as a major challenge. She reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to pursuing cases and ensuring justice.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of CHIADE, Mrs. Grace Obakina, emphasised the importance of effective collaboration, accountability and coordinated institutional responses in tackling SGBV.
She said the purpose of the meeting was to develop a comprehensive understanding of the SGBV ecosystem in Edo State, assess the effectiveness of existing prevention, response and prosecution mechanisms, review progress in implementing the VAPP Law, and identify gaps requiring collective action.
She urged participants to engage constructively while protecting the confidentiality, dignity and rights of survivors.
Dr. Faith Edebor, speaking on the Benin Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), explained that the centre adopts an
