About 592 women and 70 men reported spousal abuse in the last year, according to information released by the Lagos State government Wednesday.
At a ministerial news conference in Ikeja, Lagos, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Cecilia Dada, said that 592 women had reported violence and abuse from their husbands in the previous year, and 70 men had reported that their wives had beaten or mistreated them in the same time frame.
Dada also revealed that 662 incidences of domestic abuse, both by men and women, were reported to the WAPA ministry in the previous year.
According to a breakdown provided by the commissioner, 27 men and 247 women reported domestic abuse to the ministry directly, while 43 men and 345 women reported spousal abuse by calling the ministry’s toll-free number, 767/112.
Dada said that the Domestic Violence Survivors Shelter, which would be built in Agidingbi, Ikeja, is currently under construction and will offer survivors of domestic abuse in the state a safe haven.
She clarified that the refuge would provide resources to help survivors reconstruct their lives free from abuse, as well as psycho-social support, counselling services, legal aid, and temporary accommodation.
Dada continued by saying that a lot had been accomplished by the domestic violence unit, which was established in 2015 to address situations of gender-based abuse involving intimate partners, relatives, and neighbours, among other people.
According to her, the domestic violence section is responsible for making sure that gender-based violence is not tolerated in the state.
According to the commissioner, the unit provided social intervention services that included advocacy (programmes for creating awareness and sensitization to gender-based violence), counselling, mediation, rescue, social investigation, empowerment, referral, medical support, teamwork, psychosocial services, and follow-up.
“To reduce incidences of gender-based violence in the State, the Ministry also collaborates with MDAs, international organisations, and other pertinent stakeholders,” the spokesperson stated.