ActionAid Nigeria has called for the adoption of a care-centred approach which recognises care and well-being as critical to sustaining societies, economies and the environment.
The country director, ActionAid Nigeria, Ene Obi, said the approach facilitates investment in gender-based violence prevention and response in all public and private spaces.
A release issued in commemoration of the 2021 International Women’s Day, further said care-centred should be valued, redistributed as integral to humanitarian preparedness and response policies.
She said the commemoration was a strong reminder of the unanticipated struggles of Nigerian women, adding that they were hardest hit by socio-economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020.
“Many men lost their paid jobs and women became saddled with the unpaid responsibility of caring for sick family members and providing their needs often in vulnerable, low paid roles with little protection.
“Reports of domestic violence doubled amidst an almost paralyzed support system for survivors of violence due to the lock-down,” she said.
Obi called for the creation of an inclusive Nigeria where empowerment and fulfillment of the rights of women and girls are normalised.
“As the world beams a spotlight on women, we call on the Nigerian government to reflect and move from policy to action.
“Governments at all levels should classify and prioritize all GBV services as essential services and ensure that they are publicly funded, universal and gender responsive including services for excluded populations without discrimination.’’
