Women Advocacy, Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, has raised alarm over the 1,000 cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV, recorded in Niger State between 2023 and 2024.
State Coordinator of WARDC, Mrs Hassana Kpeto, made this known during a press briefing in Minna, at the weekend.
The briefing was held with the theme: “Invest in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence : Increase Budget to End Violence Against Women and Girls.”
Mrs Kpeto disclosed that of the 1,000 reported cases, the organisation was only able to address 100, with just eight convictions recorded during the period. She attributed the limited success to inadequate funding and called on government to prioritise SGBV in their budgets.
According to her, “WARDC is a human rights organisation operating nationwide to combat issues such as gender-based violence, child abuse and child labour.”
Besides, she stated that “we need government and private sector partners to invest in SGBV initiatives and allocate more resources to end violence against women and girls.”
She emphasised the importance of incorporating gender-responsive budgeting in state policies and programmes, urging the Niger State government to set aside 0.05 percent of its 2025 budget for Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, like the Ministries of Women Affairs, Justice, and the Child Rights Act Agency.
“Gender-responsive budgeting is about integrating gender lens at every stage of governance—planning, policy-making, resource allocation and implementation.
“Legislators should champion this framework to ensure sustainable and effective interventions.”
The briefing highlighted the critical need for government intervention.
